Liam Davies has vowed to succeed where his fellow Englishmen have failed and defeat Ionut Baluta on home turf.
The two will go toe-to-toe for the vacant European super bantamweight title at the Telford International Centre, with the BT Sport cameras rolling live, on Saturday November 19.
Telford’s own Davies is the reigning British champion, having dethroned Marc Leach to claim the belt, when last in action, five months ago.
Leach was down in the very first round and battled hard to see the final bell, but Davies was a worthy and unanimous points winner, through scores of 118-111, 116-113 and 115-113.
That was his crowning glory at the Telford International Centre, with another rich prize awaiting there, if he’s able to see off Spain-based Romania visitor Baluta, on fight night.
Baluta has upset the odds to outpoint Kyle Williams and Brad Foster, in previous trips to the UK, and has never been stopped in a pro boxing ring, with his record standing at 15-3.
The 28-year-old also boxed Ireland’s David Oliver-Joyce and Michael Conlan at York Hall, in London, beating Oliver-Joyce and pushing Conlan close, before losing on points.
Davies, 26, has his ‘0’ to protect, too, having racked up a 12-0 ledger with English and British honours already in the bag, along with five TKOs.
He was touted as a top prospect upon entry to the pro ranks, after a lengthy and successful amateur career, which saw him accumulate exactly 100 bouts, coming out on top 78 times.
The second-generation fighter is the son of ex-pro Tristan Davies and fought for his father’s Donnington Boxing Club, as an amateur. He also represented England at youth level.
Davies said: “I’m going up the ladder and I feel ready for the opportunities that are coming. My craft has improved and that’s what I want to carry on showing people.
“The opponent doesn’t really matter, all I really care about is getting my hands on that belt. I’ll take him on, with a smile on my face.
“I know that he’s tough, but this is where he’s going to come unstuck. He throws a lot of shots, but he also walks on to a few and I believe that I can hurt him.
“I’m really confident that I can take this chance. I can conquer Britain, Europe and then there’s just one more left, which is world level.
“It was a big challenge for me to win the British title, where many doubted me. I think that I did that in maybe third or fourth gear, too. I’ve got many more gears to go through.
“I haven’t really had to dig in yet, I feel like I’ve cruised through my pro career so far. I’ll tackle this one with everything and beat up Baluta.
“The occasion won’t bother me, I’ve headlined in Telford and on BT Sport before. It’s more exciting than pressure. I’m going to be a hard man to overcome.
“I’ve got a foot in the door, I’m securing a future for myself and I won’t let him get in the way of that. I hope that he under-estimates me, it will be an easy night’s work if he does!”
