Ryan Davies has taken an unusual path to becoming a professional boxer.
He started out in boxing training in his garage with his Dad and Grandad, watching and idolising the likes of Evander Holyfield and James Toney. Ryan spent his childhood and teenage years continuing to train in this way, as well as at a number of local boxing clubs, but it wasn’t until 2008 when he first started to compete after been convinced to jump in the ring by Andy Abrol of Sharpstyle Boxing Gym.
With no amateur background, Ryan first competed in a ring on the tough and unforgiving unlicensed circuit, where he became an undefeated British champion at Light Middleweight and Welterweight, fighting and defeating a number of ex-professionals along the way.
In 2011, at the age of 24, Ryan was invited to make his professional debut on a show in his hometown of Blackpool. After a routine medical showed a heart abnormality he was refused a professional license and his career was put on hold. Despite continuing to train and spar, in terms of competitive boxing, this was a huge period of inactivity, during which many others would have thrown in the towel on a professional boxing career.
With a professional license looking unlikely, it was during this period that Ryan turned his attention to personal training, becoming fully qualified, sharing his boxing and fitness knowledge and skills with others, helping them to realise their fitness goals, while one day dreaming of owning and opening his own private gym facility.
Three years later, after passing every test and satisfying every requirement of the country’s top heart specialists, it was determined Ryan had a slight anomaly, but one that would never effect him in the boxing ring. The British Boxing Board of Control final granted him his professional license in 2014.
Soon after, Ryan was put in touch with Dennis Hobson through a contact and travelled to Sheffield to meet him. After sparring in front of him, he was invited to sign a promotional deal with Dennis Hobson and finally begin his professional journey, making his debut in September 2014, fighting under the name R.P Davies (due to there being another Ryan Davies in the paid ranks).
In May 2017, after 12 professional fights (and 11 wins), Davies signed management forms with the renowned North West boxing manager and promoter, Neil Marsh, making a winning debut under his promotional banner at the Preston Guild Hall in June.
Now training out of his own gym in Blackpool, Davies Boxing Gym (which he opened in November 2015), Ryan is trained by his father, Mark Davies (himself a former professional footballer and amateur boxer).