Paul David believes a change of gym has given him new focus.The English super-middleweight champion from Northampton has severed his ties with the Ingles in Sheffield and now operates out of Johnny Eames' [pictured] TKO gym in London believing the best is yet to come.
He gets the chance to show his new polish in a six-rounder with former Prizefighter light-heavyweight champion Travis Dickinson on a Sky Sports-televised, Frank Maloney-promoted show in Aberdeen on February 25 - and he's predicting a painful night for the unbeaten puncher.
Tall, loose, fleet-footed, awkward and with a sizeable dig in his 10oz gloves, David boxed only once in 2011, a routine points win over Billy Boyle in June, and since winning the English 12st title with a seven-round knockout over Nottingham's Tyrone Wright at the tail-end of 2008 has only seen action on three other occasions - and they were all on the same night in June 2010's Prizefighter.
David reached the final that night but the former Midlands Area light-heavyweight boss, 13-5 (5), has seen fight after fight fall away, including a tasty-looking British title eliminator with Paul Smith and a rematch with the man who controversially out-pointed him in that Prizefighter final, Patrick Mendy.
But he believes a win over the ten-fight undefeated County Durham boxer in nine days will set him on his way to future showdowns with one of a trio of British champions: super-middle George Groves, the winner of the light-heavyweight scrap between Tony Bellew and Danny McIntosh or, if the opportunity arises, Shane McPhilbin at cruiser.
And though Dickinson has beaten three Midlands-based fighters - Hamed Jamali, Hastings Rasani and Llewy Davies - Paul seems unperturbed and seemingly only interested in what's ahead. "I saw him earlier in his career and didn't think too much of him.
"I was surprised when he won Prizefighter and though he's been taking care of business against the Midlands boxers he's faced, i'm a lot better than anyone he's ever been in with before," David confidently boasted.
"After I've dealt with Dickinson i'm after a British title fight - and i don't mind if that's at super-middleweight, light-heavyweight or cruiserweight, which looks weak and open," roared an avoided 27-year-old who was capable enough to push current WBA Interim world champion Brian Magee all the way in just his seventh paid fight.
"I'm focused, eager to fight and Dickinson is going to find out just why I've been avoided for so long next week," he coldly added.
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