His gameplan at the start of the fight was tailor-made for slick Napa’s counter-punching style and the Londoner struggled with Davies’ jab and high tempo.
Had Davies’ timing been a little more accurate at the start – he was missing with his best shots which asks questions about the amount of sparring he had in the run up – then he may have kept that rounds run going into the middle stages.
Instead, by the fourth, Napa was into his groove and slipping and moving well while countering with hooks.
A big left at the end of the sixth rocked Davies but the popular Merseysider, who had a big vocal travelling support, got back to his boxing to take the seventh and eighth rounds, working a double left jab right cross combination to good effect.
But confidence got the better of him again in the ninth and while he tried to load up Napa’s work caught the eye.
But then the momentum swung back again as Davies came back strongly in the next session to leave himself two rounds up on my card with two to go.
However, the 11th and 12th rounds aren’t called the championship rounds for nothing and Napa’s experience was about to become the biggest factor in the fight.
Davies bounced out, dug his toes into the canvas and admirably let the bombs fly.
But Napa stayed tight behind his right hand left shoulder defence and coolly picked his punches to pick up his old title and reaffirm his place at the top of the domestic ratings.
Davies, now 9-3-1, will surely come again and, however painful it may be now, he’ll be twice the champion next time after this brave defeat.
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