I’ll give you the bum’s rush
Davies lets fly with abuse at Josh’s camp
THE fight has been dubbed “Bad Blood” and yesterday Josh Taylor’s looming title bout with Ohara Davies lived up to its billing.
Londoner Davies stepped up his campaign in Glasgow after orchestrating a Twitter war against the Commonwealth super-lightweight champion with the support of actor pals from The Only Way Is Essex.
Davies, who didn’t once remove his dark glasses during the head to head to promote tomorrow’s fight at Braehead Arena, launched a verbal assault on the Edinburgh boxer and his backroom team.
Even featherweight legend Barry McGuigan, who manages Taylor, was targeted at a city restaurant where a group of Taylor’s fans fired back at Davies.
The Scot’s trainer Shane McGuigan was also disrespected when Davies let rip after staying remarkably quiet on his last visit to Glasgow six weeks ago.
Davies, 25, said: “I really want to shut his and his coach’s mouths. He’s a bum and his coach is a bum. His team are bums. In fact, the whole of Cyclone Promotions who are here are all bums.” The situation could easily have turned ugly when Taylor’s supporters heckled Davies. And the Hackney hitman told one punter to “shut your mouth” after others joined in to jeer him. On the suggestion it had all been a show designed to grab the limelight, Davies said: “None of it was a wind-up. I came here to say what I wanted to say because I’m my own boss and I do what I want to do. That’s what I felt like saying so that’s what I said. “I’ve done this time after time and I’m just doing the same thing only getting paid more this time “I call everyone in my weight class who is a threat to me a bum and I’m here to shut him up.” Asked if he feared a fans’ backlash tomorrow night, he added: “I’m not fazed. In my last fight at the O2 Arena I was fighting in my hometown and got booed so this means nothing to me.
“I have no issues coming here to get booed. I’ve been booed in front of a lot bigger crowds.
“I don’t really care about the reaction I get. As soon as my entrance music comes on I don’t see or hear the crowd.
“All I hear is what my coach tells me. Nothing else affects me and I can shut everything else out.
“This game is not about who is loved or who is the best person – it’s about fighting and it’s about winning.”
And when it comes to what will happen in the ring, three weight world champion Ricky Burns reckons fellow Scot Taylor will be taken out, having seen Davies up close in training.
The Rickster said: “I don’t know what way Josh is going to take him. There’s a way to fight Ohara and a way not to. But he’s always got that equaliser in the right hand.
“Josh likes to come out and set a fast pace but he does sometimes leave his chin in the air. And if he does that you don’t really want Ohara taking advantage of it.”