Boxer's hopes after 'rollercoaster' year
A boxer has said he needs some good fortune in 2026 after watching a family member go through cancer treatment and his latest fight being cancelled.
Liam Davies, from Donnington, Shropshire, was due to box Commonwealth featherweight champion Zak Miller in Manchester on 24 January, but the entire card was postponed after the bill's headliner got injured.
The fight has been rescheduled to 28 March, and is one that Davies hopes could catapult him towards a world title at the end of the year.
"I've just got to try and find some positivity somewhere and keep plodding on," he told the BBC.
Davies added: "2025 was not the best of years for me in boxing and health, but you know, what don't break you makes you stronger."
His step-mum has been going through treatment for breast cancer, which he said had been hard on the whole family.
He described training as being an "escape" but said life had been "a rollercoaster" last year.
World champion hopes
Davies only gets paid after the fight, but two months of preparation has meant he has spent money on things like training and camps.
"It's not about the money, but it's like going to work for nothing," he said.
"I bought my house, and you rely on these fights to keep chipping away, so it's hard."
He said because of the training he missed out on a lot over the festive season.
"I've been grafting over Christmas, I missed so much over Christmas, which I'm happy to do and I understand that's part of my job, but to do it and then to have the curtain shut on me 10 days out after all these people have supported me – I've had sponsors, it's a difficult one to get your head round," he added.
He said there were no days off, even when he was spending time with his family.
"I had a Christmas dinner, but there's no enjoying a Guinness, there's no time with my friends, there's no day off."
"I didn't have chocolate, sweets, biscuits."
Looking ahead, he hopes that a win in the rescheduled fight will get him one step closer to his end goal.
"I want to work myself to world champion, I'm going to be fighting for the WBA and IBF belts, which get me top 15, top 10 ranking with both governing bodies," he said.
"Whoever's got that belt, that's my aim, and I believe that's where I'll be again.
"It definitely makes you more hungry."
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