Although Garett Davis is coming off several setbacks, including an 18 month layoff due to injuries and a loss to Elmer Waterhen, the Vancouver welterweight is certain his time as KOTC Canadian champion is not over. This Friday night at the Mirage Banquet Hall in Edmonton, Alberta, Davis will get an opportunity to prove just that, when he squares off with the newly crowned champ Waterhen for a second time.
“I’ve been training since we first fought, and all I’ve been doing is a lot of kickboxing, a lot of wrestling, a lot of jiu-jitsu, a lot of strength and conditioning and a lot of proper nutrition,” said Davis, who lost by unanimous decision to Waterhen at KOTC Canada’s “Stand and Deliver” card in November. “I’m going to be bigger, stronger and more aggressive, and I’m going to go in there smash him standing up, then I’m going to take him down, smash him, and then I’m going to finish him.”
While Davis was understandably eager to get back into the cage last November, after he incurred multiple injuries as a result of a cycling accident in 2011, the vet now believes he came back too early.
“I took the fight too soon,” said Davis. “After being off for a year and a half; I didn’t have a full camp and I was underweight. I had lost all my muscle from being off and I was walking around at 162. I had breakfast, lunch and a meal before the weigh-ins and I still only weighed in at 165. I was way too small...there was a lot of things that went wrong for me that night.”
“I don’t want to take anything away from Elmer at all, he’s a very tough, experienced guy, and that was a very tough fight...I’ve watched the fight several times, and it was a close fight, but I think I won that decision three rounds to two,” Davis added. “The judges that called it 50-45 for him I think were watching a different fight. Like they say, never leave it to the judges.”
It will be interesting to see how the rematch plays out, as Waterhen has relayed that he has no intention of changing the gameplan that earned him the Canadian welterweight belt. According to the Saskatchewan vet, who is also the reigning Canadian middleweight champ, he hopes to negate the accomplished ground game of Davis and outstrike him on his feet.
“It was very far off from a performance that I was happy with,” said Davis, while reflecting on the loss. “He definitely did a good job surviving for sure...a couple rounds I think he was saved by the bell. In the first round I ended up in mount just before the bell goes, there was a lot of stuff, but he definitely has good reversals... We’ll see; this time around I think it’s going to be a completely different story.”
The competitive and memorable bout prompted the promotion to set up an immediate rematch, and Davis is understandably thrilled with KOTC Canada’s decision.
“Definitely, without a doubt,” said Davis while discussing the merit of the rematch. “I was the champion, he was fighting for my belt and he didn’t come close to finishing me. All he did was he landed one jab in the fifth round that cut me above the eye, and in the second round, he had a flurry which I defended and took him down...I still can’t believe the judges took the belt away from me.”
“Anyone that doesn’t think this rematch should happen is crazy”.
And as far as what Davis hopes to achieve in 2013, considering he’s fully recovered from his injuries and eager to compete?
“All I’m thinking about right now is getting my belt back,” said Davis. “When I do that we’ll take it from there, but I still have a lot to give.”
Tickets for “Monster Smash” can be purchased at the Wild West Shooting Centre or via Clubzone.com.
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