"When I heard Yan, one of the best Israeli fighters in history, [was headlining], I knew I had to be on this historic card no matter what," Davids told The Jewish Boxing Blog. "I will do my best to put on the greatest show of my life."
When he first entered the Israeli Defense Forces, Chananya hadn't had any boxing experience. "I was one of the only ones in my unit without a martial arts background, which was one of the prerequisites for getting in." To get into the counter-terrorism unit, he had to learn quickly.
"The first 'combat sport' I ever did was Krav Maga in the unit," he said. During his service, he tried to take in as much as he could from a variety of a martial arts.
After his stint in the army, Davids moved to Canada for work. He walked into Toronto's Atlas Boxing and Fitness Club where he learned under Dr. Adrian Trudesceau just before the legendary coach passed. Trudesceau famously led Lennox Lewis to Olympic gold in Seoul.
Chananya was 22 when he had his first fight, six months after taking up the sport. He's made up for lost time, estimating that he has had 80-90 fights including both amateur bouts and exhibitions. He's fought in 14 countries and garnered 20 KOs, competing anywhere between junior middleweight all the way up to light heavyweight.
His crowning achievement was gold at the Maccabi championships. Davids stopped his opponent on October 4, 2023 to take the crown. The next day he flew to the United States to visit his now-wife. The massacre in Israel two days later prompted Chananya to quickly return to his homeland and volunteer for the military. Between his service, boxing, his work, and his relationship, he finds it "very very hard to juggle" these disparate responsibilities. But he says, "It has given me a great sense of purpose."
He's progressed in this grueling game of boxing thanks to his motto, "One percent better every day." It's led to considerable improvement in a sport that typically doesn't forgive late starts.
Heading into his debut, Davids admits, "I'm not as fast as I would like to be." But his opponent shouldn't be too confident. "I have a great jab, feint, and I focus on the body," he explained. For those of us who have watched him fight, his toughness is evident and a necessary mean streak is present.
He gives credit to his teacher Evgheni Boico and his coach Artur Zlatopolsky for the help they've provided to him. Boico told The Jewish Boxing Blog, "Chanaya came to boxing relatively late, but through his determination and strong character, he managed to reach a competitive level."
Boico began working with Davids in 2020. The fighter had already developed certain habits that the expert coach patiently tweaked. "His greatest strengths as a fighter are his determination, persistence, and fierce motivation," analyzed Boico. "He is durable and always in good physical condition. His unorthodox style and ability to maintain a high pace make him an effective pressure fighter, capable of wearing down more technical and faster opponents."
The coach noticed a marked improvement in Chanaya's abilities when Boico returned from training fighters in Spain a year and half ago. "Chananya had several solid sparring sessions and fights in which he applied the things we had been working on. Overall, I would say that he has become a more mature and experienced fighter." Boico specifically noted development in his footwork, jab, and feints.
Ahead of his pro debut, Chananya is eyeing sponsorships. He's looking to appeal to both brands and fans by showing "it's never too late to start, never take no for an answer, and never give up."
Mixing heart, desire, and a willingness to learn, Chananya Davids has an inspirational story to tell. The next chapter begins on December 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment