Speaking to ABC media recently, Attila Boxing Academy head coach Attila Kovacs said that Shannan Davey was looked up to by everyone at the gym and that the 21-year-old former Narrabri boy would “go a long way, to the top”.

“Shannan is one of a kind,” coach Kovacs said.

“I’ve never had anybody so committed to boxing, so determined and so hard training.”

They were words which Davey said brought a tear to his eye.

On Sunday night, Davey’s dedication to the sport he lives and breathes paid off when he was crowned the 2020 elite 69kg Queensland champion at Eastside Boxing Club in Brisbane.

Davey, who relocated to Bundaberg, Queensland, earlier this year from his hometown Narrabri, said that he was extremely proud.

“What started as a bad year, with COVID and what it brought, has really turned into a good year for me,” Davey said.

“I’m over the moon.”

Davey went into the Queensland Boxing State Titles with three wins under his belt on September 26 and October 10 and 24.

The first of those wins was in his comeback to the sport, having not fought since his South East Queensland Title victory in November last year.

The contests were also at 75kg. Davey weighed into the third bout at 73kg, so he was forced to drop 4kg before Friday’s state titles opener. He achieved that and his first fight at the state titles event was against Eastside Boxing Club’s Jack West on Friday night.

On a cool evening, Davey defeated West in the third and final three-minute round by TKO, stopping his opponent with just 20 seconds remaining. He put West down for three eight-counts in the third round which forced the referee to stop the fight.

That victory saw Davey advance to the final which was fought on a hot Sunday afternoon. He came up against 26-year-old Darragh Keogh from Southport Boxing Club in that bout.

Davey had already fought Keogh on October 10. He dominated that fight, putting Keogh down for two eight-counts, one in round two and the other in round three, and won it by unanimous decision.

On Sunday, Davey defeated Keogh for a second consecutive encounter by unanimous decision to be crowned elite 69kg Queensland champion and extend his record to 25-7 as his journey to fight at the Commonwealth Games for Australia and also turn professional continues.

Humble as ever but full of confidence, Davey told The Courier that he was determined to leave a legacy in the sport.

“Time is on my side and there’s a long road to go for me yet, I want to be doing this for 20 years,” Davey said.

“I’m good but I’m nowhere near great, I want to be more than great and I want to leave a legacy. I want to be the best.

“Next year, I want to be Queensland champion again and become Australian champion and be golden gloves champion.

“In the near future, I want to go overseas and get some international experience and then my main goal is the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“After that I want to go pro, you can’t eat these trophies, I want to make a living from boxing so the professional ranks is in my mind and my end goal is to be a world champion.”

Next up for Davey if all goes to plan is a bout at the North East Queensland v South East Queensland Championships in Townsville.

Davey announced his state titles victory on Facebook on Sunday evening and signed off by saying “the best is yet to come”. If that turns out to be true, Narrabri could have another world champion to list on the local sporting wall of fame.

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