Josh Taylor and Ohara Davies grudge match pits two warring camps together

A big night for British boxing this evening sees shows taking place on both Channel 5 and BT Sport. While there is an absence of a true top-level fight, there are several intriguing bouts which could prove pivotal for the winning fighters.

Channel 5 continues its quarterly airing of live boxing by presenting Josh Taylor vs Ohara Davies in a fight between two undefeated boxers who have very different styles and personalities. The personal differences between Taylor and Davies has resulted in an intense build-up between both men, but not from a promotional perspective.

The animosity between Barry McGuigan who promotes Josh Taylor and Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing who look after Davies has been a long-running saga, stemming from Carl Frampton’s time with Matchroom. Tensions have risen between the companies over the past few years, and seem to have reached their peak at this very moment.

McGuigan won the purse bids for tonight’s fight which is for the Commonwealth light welterweight title, so in response Hearn, Matchroom and Davies have chosen to barely promote the fact that this fight is even happening. It’s an intriguing and somewhat sad state of affairs that a match between two boxers who have a genuine rivalry has been advertised in such a poor way. The lack of excitement can also be pinpointed to the fact that despite being born in Edinburgh, Taylor is boxing in Glasgow away from his home community.

But let’s put petty promotional rivalries aside. Despite the relative early stages in the careers of both men, this is a fight that deserves attention. Any time two undefeated British fighters compete against each other is a moment to be rewarded, but the very fact this is a bout that many expected would never happen means that we have to appreciate what we have now.

9-0 since making his professional debut in July 2015, Josh Taylor competed in two Olympic Games as an amateur, and won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The 26-year-old enjoys home advantage tonight in Scotland, and has established an excellent start to his pro career, with eight stoppage victories from nine fights.

Taylor’s sharp punching power mixes well with his classic fundamentals, while the height and reach advantage he’ll have over Davies tonight could prove to be significant. He’ll have to be careful of emotion however, especially considering his behaviour after the weigh-in. Taylor touched the jaw of Davies twice to rile up his opponent, and the two then had a brief scuffle which was quickly broken up.

The Scot admitted he wanted to ‘choke out’ Davies after the incident, and it’s easy to see why he’s been so emotionally affected by his London rival. Davies exudes confidence which often borders into arrogance, and has been talking loud since his own debut in April 2014.

The 25-year-old usually comes to the ring to sounds of the WWE theme song of The Undertaker, and has established a style based on waves of pressure and creating attacks from awkward angles. His long arms may negate the height of Taylor, but he’ll have to do the majority of his work from the outside. Taylor excels when able to get close to his opponents, and his superior boxing ability could enable him to dictate the pace and theme of the battle.

Taylor is the 4/6 betting favourite with the bookmakers, with Davies a live 6/5 underdog. It’s hard to see this fight going the distance considering the power both men possess, but fights where both men have dislike for the other often tend to end up lasting all 12 rounds.

Over on BT Sport, Bradley Skeete defends his British welterweight title against Dale Evans. An endearing and skilful fighter, Skeete has won all but one of his 27 professional bouts, and won his title against Sam Eggington. He’ll have the chance to keep his belt outright if he wins tonight, but Dale Evans is not just fighting for himself, but also for the memory of Mike Towell who passed away following a bout with Evans last September.

Evans lost his previous British title attempt to Eggington in 2015, but has ramped up his training ahead of his second chance. Skeete has the style to keep the Welshman at bay across all 12 rounds, but when on top form Evans can be a dogged competitor who never gives up.

Elsewhere in London, Gary Corcoran and the enigmatic Larry Ekundayo meet in a crossroads welterweight fight, undefeated light heavyweight prospect Anthony Yarde fights Richard Baranyi and 19-year-old heavyweight sensation Daniel Dubois looks for his fourth consecutive win against Mauricio Barragan.