Josh Wale intends to make himself known in the featherweight division and his mission begins tomorrow night.

The 27-year-old fighter from Brampton is moving up in weight class for the first time in his nine-year professional career. Wale says opponent – three-time Welsh champion Dai Davies – will be in for a bad night in their Commonwealth title eliminator on Dennis Hobson's show at the Magna Centre in Rotherham. The bill will be televised on Spike (Sky Channel 160) from 10pm.

Wale lost a points decision for the British super-bantamweight title earlier this year against James Dickens and sees this fight as a chance to get back in the title mix at a new weight.

Wale said: "It's the best I've felt for a long time. I'm eating well and that's not something I was doing at super-bantamweight. I'm not eating like a rabbit any longer. I feel like I've had more energy in training. I was performing at super-bantamweight but not to my full ability.

""I'm feeling happy and we've worked on different things in training and I'll show it on Saturday night. I've been active this year and, after doing 12 rounds, I'm straight back in doing ten. My strength and power will show at this weight. I want to impress myself more than anyone else. Then there are more big fights ahead for me."

Merthyr Tydfil's Davies, 32, is enjoying a career swansong with three wins in a row including a narrow points victory over Cudworth's Andy Townend in March last year. He drew with world champion Jamie McDonnell in 2006 and has mainly lost against good opponents throughout his 47-fight career.

Wale said: "Dai had a good year but I know for a fact that, if I turn up, I can beat anybody. "I haven't watched him but my dad (and trainer Mick) has. I'll do my thing and I'm very confident I'll take him out."

Townend, 26, who recently claimed the English title a division up at super-featherweight, is backing Wale to get by Davies. Townend said: "I think Josh will win. Dai has experience but so has Josh. It's a ten-rounder as well so, if you start slow, then there's plenty of time to catch up."

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Since defeating Townend, Davies has picked up two titles with a Welsh Area win against Robbie Turley and an international Masters title against Ashley Lane, who was stopped by Wale in 2013. Townend feels Davies will have to adopt the same counter-punching tactics against Wale, as he did against him.

Townend said: "His trainer said to me after I fought him that he was always going to be on the backfoot because I would be too strong for him and I think it will be the same for Josh."

Meanwhile, in amateur boxing, Hard and Fast ABC in Cudworth had one fighter through and one eliminated in the National Schoolboys semi-finals held in Evesham over the weekend.

Paddy O'Doherty, 12, was beaten in the semi-finals on a unanimous decision by Bury's Javid Ali at 46kg. James Metcalfe was given a bye to the final which is held tomorrow afternoon at the EIS in Sheffield. Reigning champion Metcalfe, 14, will face Lowestoft's Joe Kerrison at 65kg.

Tom Moore, who is a stablemate of Wale at Micky's Athletic ABC in Wath, earned a unanimous decision on a show in Edlington. Moore, 13, eased to victory against Reese Leach from Balby.