While Davies attempts to rebuild his career, Shabaz is already looking ahead – and aiming high, with his uncle Mo Fiaz, the Wellington Boxing Academy head coach and once part of Shropshire world super-middleweight champion Richie Woodhall’s backroom team still in his corner.
“Thank God I’ve still got the same people around me as I had at the start,” he said. “I’ve never had yes men in my team.
“If something’s going wrong they tell me how it is and I’m truly blessed for that. I won the title on Saturday, I was back in the gym on Monday and Tuesday. That is why I’m getting so much success.
“For me, it’s just the start. I’ve always said I don’t just want to be a world champion, I want to be a multi-weight world champion and I’m not satisfied yet.
“My religion, Islam, teaches me a way of living. You pray five times a day. You have to be disciplined to do that. I genuinely think it does help me become a better person.
“What Islam teaches in terms of the way you treat people, the way your character is, that’s a big thing. I feel like in boxing, a lot of people who meet me say I’m a nice guy because I follow the rules properly.
“Boxing is one of those sports where you can make it. From nothing, you can become something. That’s the beauty of boxing.
“You get people from all kinds of backgrounds. Everyone comes together. In the boxing gym you’re just another fighter.”
Liam Davies and Shabaz Mamoud were talking to BBC Radio Shropshire’s Mark Elliott
