AFTER making his breakthrough on the international stage by reaching the last four of the European Elite Championships, Kurt Walker feels he is finally starting to emerge from Michael Conlan’s shadow.
The Canal counter-puncher won his first Irish elite title at the start of 2015, and has added two more since. However, despite not entering the national championships, Conlan was Ireland’s first choice bantamweight by a distance.
As a result, Walker had to bide his time and wait for an opportunity.
Since Conlan turned professional after the Rio Olympics, the 22-year-old now has the chance to establish himself as the undisputed number one at 56 kilos.
And he has gone the right way about it in the past week, stunning Azerbaijan’s number two seed Tayfur Aliyez to reach the quarter-finals in Kharkiv before exacting revenge against Raffaele Di Serio in Wednesday’s last eight showdown.
The Italian had come out on top against Walker at the European U22 Championships back in February but, after earning a split decision win, the Lisburn fighter feels “on top of the world”.
He said: “I’m flying, and it’s good to show how good I am now because I was in Mick’s shadow those first few years.
“I’m just out-boxing everyone - I feel unbeatable. I wasn’t really ready when I fought him in February - I won the seniors, then I celebrated for a couple of weeks, then I trained for a week and went to the U22s. It just wasn’t the same, I wasn’t doing much sparring.
“I still thought I won that fight actually, but I knew I’d be too much for him this time. It shows the difference when you’re fit.
“I’m boxing very well, sticking to the game-plan. I’ve hardly been hit this whole tournament.”
Having already secured his place at August’s World Championships, the next objective for Walker is to ensure the European bantamweight crown remains in Ireland.
John Joe Nevin took the title in 2013, Conlan followed suit two years later, and now Walker has the chance to add his name to that list.
Standing in his way in Friday’s semi-final is home favourite Mykola Butsenko, the experienced Ukrainian who lost to Nevin in the 2013 decider – and Walker is well aware of the task that awaits him.
“It’ll be hard but I’m boxing well and I know I have the skills to beat him.
“He’s been about, has plenty of experience, he’s very good but I think I’m too much for him, skill-wise.”
With bronze already guaranteed, Rio Olympians Brendan Irvine and Joe Ward are also aiming to upgrade their medals on Friday.
Light-heavyweight Ward faces Italy’s Valentino Manfredino, while flyweight Irvine takes on England’s Dean Farrell in the afternoon.
“I’m one fight away from the final, so I just want to keep it going,” said ‘Wee Rooster’, who won a silver medal at the 2015 European Games.
“This is just another competition, so you just have to keep focussed on the next fight. It’s all well and good getting here, but you have to keep performing.”
