Ohara Davies to return June 18, targeting vacant WBA title or Lewis Ritson later this year

Ohara Davies will return to action on June 18, but he’s got bigger fights in mind later this year, including Lewis Ritson and a possible shot at the now-vacant WBA junior welterweight title.

“I will take on anyone after this fight in Leeds, but Lewis Ritson is someone who stands out because that guy has been talking a whole lot of trash,” he said. “If we fought, I don’t see him lasting more than three or four rounds. And so, for my next fight, I don’t mind going up to Newcastle, knocking out Ritson because it would be money for easy work.

“Ritson is not someone you need to do anything special for, he’s bang average, he’s nothing special, he just sells a lot of tickets in Newcastle.”

Davies (23-2, 16 KO) has won five straight, and feels the streak should be longer. He’s also campaigning for a chance to fight for the vacant WBA title at 140 lbs, which was given up by or taken from Josh Taylor last month, depending on what you choose to believe, which doesn’t really matter anyway.

Davies is currently ranked No. 3 by the WBA, and laid out his reasoning for a shot.

“No. 1, I am Ohara Davies, and I put bums on seats,” he said. “Any fight I am in, people talk about it and people turn up to watch. I also haven’t lost a fight since 2018, but that was a contest against Jack Catterall that I should, rightly, have won.

“Apart from Josh Taylor, I feel as though I have beaten everyone put in front of me. I’ve beaten Tyrone McKenna; I’ve beaten the unbeaten Logan Yoon when everyone said I was going to get beat. I was meant to fight Ismael Barroso last year, but he was scared and pulled out.

“Regis Prograis’ last fight was against someone I beat two years ago. Sandor Martin is OK, but I am ranked above all of those guys so I should get that shot!”

Since his loss to Catterall, Davies, 30, has scored a questionable decision win over Miguel Vazquez; stopped Logan Yoon, who hasn’t fought since and that was 2019; beaten Jeff Ofori; won a majority decision over Tyrone McKenna; and beaten Nicholas Mwangi in a mismatch last time out in Nov. 2021.

At the moment, Davies has no opponent for his fight in Leeds on June 18, so don’t expect much of his contest at the Leeds United Banqueting Suite.