After three recent defeats in high-profile bouts Ishmael Davis scored a tremendous victory over Sam Gilley to win the British and Commonwealth junior middleweight titles in a pulsating 12-round battle. The scores were close – 115-114 and 115-113 (twice) – but seemed to tell the right story as Davis, 15-3 (6 KOs), sunk to his knees in delight.
Before the fight, promoter Eddie Hearn had warned Davis that this might be his final chance to grab that elusive victory on the big stage. The 30-year-old from Leeds had shown no fear when answering late calls to take on Josh Kelly and Serhii Bohachuk in 2024 and was unlucky, as recently as September, to come up short via 12-round split decision to Caoimhin Agyarko in Belfast.
There was of course plenty at stake for 31-year-old Gilley, too. Not only was this a defence of his Commonwealth title and a chance to nab the vacant British championship, but it was also his debut at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the home of his beloved soccer team.
Davis started brightly as he switched stances to make life somewhat uncomfortable for his opponent. Yet that habit also opened his body on occasion, allowing Gilley to score downstairs effectively and seemingly edge two of the first three rounds.
The muscled Davis continued to press aggressively regardless and, in the fifth, the pair exchanged as the action stayed up close and personal. After that round Gilley, who was better from distance, was warned by his corner to not unload his full weaponry too soon.
Gilley, though, seemed to be enjoying himself too much to temper his approach. It presented Davis with ample encouragement to let fly with hearty attacks, up and down, and as the sixth came to a close the champion’s bruised eyes showcased the effects of that power.
Gilley’s desire to regain his earlier control only offered further chances to Davis. He looked the heavier puncher in the eighth, as his blows clattered into the face of Gilley who, by now, was bleeding from his nose and left eye.
The gruelling action intensified in the ninth. First it was Gilley, 18-2-1 (9 KOs), who found the target with a three-punch combination, the last of which landing flush, only for Davis – seemingly unmovable – to press again. The challenger motored forward, plunging blows into Gilley’s midsection. Though Davis’ was unloading the eye-, nose-, and belly-catching stuff, the sheer industry of Gilley – still effective when he could keep his opponent off him – made the rounds difficult to score.
In the penultimate round Gilley hurt Davis with a huge uppercut and, as Davis teetered, he briefly looked like he was about to fall. Again, he exhibited his toughness to return fire and set up an all-to-play for 12th and final round.
With victory in the balance, at least from the point of view of the brave combatants, they both swung wildly, exchanging power shots. A right seemed to clump Gilley to the deck in the final moments, only for the referee to contentiously rule the fall a slip.
Opening proceedings was Liverpool prospect Mike Tallon, the promising 20-year-old flyweight being trained by Joe Gallagher, who proved too classy for the plucky and willing Fezan Shahid while scoring a cinematic knockout at 3-06 of the fifth round.
Shahid, 4-3-2, came to win and made Tallon, 11-0 (2 KOs), work hard for his success. But unfortunately for the 33-year-old from Bradford, Tallon was also in the mood. His lead hand proved versatile, snapping in jabs and hooking in close, before his right came out to play in the fifth. A chopping cross wobbled Shahid and persuaded Tallon, patient and composed throughout, to fire a sweet, short, and unsighted uppercut that crumpled his rival for the count.
