Shannan Davey felt a sense of calm as he stepped into the ring at Brisbane’s Southbank Piazza on Saturday where he fulfilled a childhood dream and became a professional boxer.
He expected the nerves to kick in at some point but they never did, and that showed in his performance as he dominated Suitama Manuele from start to finish to win by TKO on debut.
Davey dropped the Samoan midway through the fourth and final round, and then after Manuele narrowly beat the 10-count, the Narrabri boy would unleash a flurry of punches that led to the referee stepping in and calling off the fight.
Even if that decision had not been made, Davey was on his way to a comfortable victory and would have won unanimously if a decision was required.
He told The Courier he thought his debut bout could not have gone any better than it did.
“It was a dream come true,” Davey said.
“I was happy with the performance and I thought that what we envisioned and what we worked on in the gym worked to a T.
“I stuck to the game plan and just finished it off perfectly, and I was thrilled.
“I honestly think you couldn’t ask for a more perfect debut. It’s great to go out there and knock someone out in the first round, but what does that really show?
“I just showed Australia what I can do over four rounds. I showed my skill and my ability.
“I put on a clinic and stopped him in the last round. To me it was perfect.
“To get home safe to my family and for my opponent to get out of the ring safe was another blessing as well.”
The bout was fought across four three-minute rounds and was the first of nine fights, which culminated in the main event between Liam Wilson and Youseff Dib.
The Narrabri boy said that he would gradually build up towards 10 and 12-round fights as his professional career continues.
“My first three or four professional fights might be four-rounders, then we’ll work up from six-rounders to eight-rounders, and up to the 10 and 12- rounders,” Davey said.
“When you start fighting for belts they are 10 or 12 rounds, which is where I want to be.”
Davey was thrilled not just with his performance on the night but also with the support he received.
He had plenty of family and friends in attendance who travelled from Narrabri, Newcastle, Bundaberg and other parts of NSW and Queensland to cheer him on.
That support certainly did not go unnoticed.
“It was unreal the support I had. I didn’t know there would be that many people there for me,” Davey said.
“To see them all there was very humbling and I appreciate it so much.
“Hopefully it shows to managers and promoters that I have a lot of backing, and when I get a fight near Narrabri, I’ll sell out the show.”
“A big thank you to everyone who came and watched me fight, to my family, and of course to my sponsors that are on board team Davey.
“This is the start of a new journey and I’m super excited to continue through the pro ranks.”
The Narrabri boy currently lives in Brisbane and trains at The Boxing Shop, and is hoping to get back into the ring for another pro bout in April.
“I’m going to train hard and stay ready,” he declared.
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