Liam Davies vs Nathaniel Collins Preview: European Title Showdown in Birmingham

Liam Davies makes the first defence of his European featherweight title when he faces Nathaniel Collins in Birmingham. The Queensberry Promotions event also marks an emotional night for Stoke favourite Nathan Heaney, who is set to make his final ring walk against Gerome Warburton.

This weekend, Davies will look to remind the boxing world why he is one of the best in British boxing. Since moving up to the featherweight division, he has shown a more aggressive approach to his game, which he will look to build on.

This will be his third fight in the division, having previously competed at super-bantamweight, where he captured the British and European titles while establishing himself as a professional.

On his way towards a world title, Davies was matched against fellow rising prospect Shabaz Masoud in a significant domestic fight for the weight class. It was a close-fought technical battle which Davies lost via split decision.

The bounce back from that defeat has been emphatic, with Davies showcasing his dominance in the new division. A stoppage in his last bout against Francesco Grandelli demonstrated that he still has the power to damage his opponents.

This weekend will be his toughest test as a featherweight, but a victory against Collins would allow Davies to continue his rise in the division and look towards bigger opportunities, such as a world title fight.

While Davies will be looking to make his first defence of the European title, the man from Glasgow will try to take the belt back to Scotland, which would be the biggest accomplishment of his career to date.

Collins is coming off his first career setback in a defeat to Cristobal Lorente, which was a rematch following a draw between the pair in their previous meeting.

‘The Nightmare’ had to work his way up as a professional without the backing of a major promoter, fighting on small-hall shows to earn respect.

Having had a number of fights against tough unbeaten opposition, it was in these contests that Collins made a name for himself, eventually capturing the attention of Frank Warren after winning the British title.

His most significant fight to date was against fellow Scotsman Lee McGregor, which garnered a lot of attention from the boxing media and Scottish fans. Collins produced a career-best performance, stopping McGregor in four rounds.

This weekend in Birmingham is a chance at redemption for Collins. Beating Davies and winning the European title would open the door to potential major fights in the division.

In the co-main event, we see a rematch from a fight that happened in March, but this time around the story is much different. Nathan Heaney is set to make his final ring walk as he looks to avenge his defeat to Gerome Warburton.

In Heaney’s 22-fight career, there have been many highs and a couple of low points along the way. The man from Stoke has always brought energy and excitement to every fight, and this weekend will be no different.

For Warburton, this is an opportunity to rubber-stamp his name in the middleweight division and spoil the retirement party that Heaney and his travelling Stoke fans were hoping to have.

Also on the card, we see a vacant super-lightweight title up for grabs, with 5-0 McCormack looking to capture silverware even at this early stage of his career. The 31-year-old has been eye-catching so far, both as an amateur and a professional.

Representing Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympic Games backs up his experience as an amateur, and although only five fights into his professional career, he has won those respective bouts with relative comfort.

His opponent this weekend has a wealth of experience in the professional ranks, most notably competing against Sandor Martin for the European title in April 2021. He has also previously won the British title against Sam O’Maison.

Although he has previously held the title, the odds are stacked against Prospere this weekend. He is 11 years older than his opponent and faces one of British boxing’s rising prospects in Birmingham.

With a battle for redemption in the main event, Birmingham has an intriguing night of boxing ahead. ‘Hitman Heaney’ is also expected to bring the excitement for his final ring walk, while Sunderland’s Luke McCormack has an opportunity to establish himself.