For his upcoming fight, Robbie Davies Jr. will make his way across the ocean and bring along a fresh trainer.
On May 8, at the ProBox TV Events Centre in Plant City, Florida, the Liverpudlian, aged 34, will be going up against Sergey Lipinets, the former IBF super-lightweight champion. A loss for Davies Jr could potentially mark the end of his 11-year career.
In the main event, Lipinets (17-3-1, with 13 knockouts) and Davies Jr (23-4, with 15 knockouts) are set to face each other in a 10-round bout, with a catchweight of 143lbs.
“I only want to go into proper fights,” Davies Jr told Boxing News.
“He [Lipinets] is as proper as it gets. The victor moves forward, while the loser… in case I lose, I’d likely consider it a day. However, I have no intention of losing.”
Popular Mancunian boxer Anthony Crolla, who has been coaching the former British and European 140lbs champion, will accompany him on the trip to America. Previously, Shane McGuigan had been in Davies Jr’s corner, but now he has decided to be nearer to his young family instead of enduring the long journey to London for training.
Following a year-long hiatus, Davies Jr’s upcoming bout will mark his return to the ring. Despite securing three victories after his defeat to Gabriel Gollaz Venezuela in February 2021, his fight against Darragh Foley in Liverpool 13 months ago ended in disappointment. In the third round, Davies Jr’s leg collapsed, crushing any hopes of a triumphant homecoming. This unfortunate occurrence was a direct consequence of a gruesome leg and ankle injury sustained during the previous round when Foley knocked him down. Subsequently, he was swiftly transported to Aintree Hospital where he underwent surgery.
Lipinets, on the other hand, will be aiming to bounce back from his second loss in three fights. He was defeated by Michel Rivera five months ago, adding to his previous losses against Jaron Ennis and Mikey Garcia. At 35 years old, Lipinets presents a tough challenge for Davies Jr, who is in the latter stage of his career. Lipinets’ only world title victory occurred in November 2017 when he won the vacant 10-stone IBF strap against Akhiro Kondo. However, his reign was short-lived as Mikey Garcia easily defeated him on points in March 2018.
