Interim WBA featherweight title: Michael Conlan (15-0) v TJ Doheny (22-2) tonight, Falls Park, 11pm, live on Fite TV and ESPN+)
WHAT a fight this is and what an opportunity for Michael Conlan. If the Belfast man gets past TJ Doheny tonight then no-one can argue that he hasn’t earned a shot at the world title.
Well-travelled Portlaoise native Doheny has been to the very top and is determined to get back in the world title mix and he will duck through the ropes at Falls Park simmering with anger over the switch from super-bantam (122lbs) up to featherweight (126).
He says that plays into Conlan’s hands and it may but, then again, Conlan won the WBO International super-bantamweight title earlier this year by beating Ionut Baluta who had a win over Doheny on his record.
That Baluta win was another milestone on the journey of Conlan who has improved continuously since his last appearance at Feile an Phobail two years ago when he recorded a work-in-progress stoppage win against Diego Alberto Ruiz.
He threw too many single shots in the win over Baluta but his accuracy and punching range suggested that he was on the brink of a definitive breakout. He is confident that tonight, in front of a sell-out crowd, is the night and his coach Adam Booth says “the chains are off” against Doheny.
“The crowd shouldn’t affect what fighters do,” said Booth in reference to Doheny’s status as the ‘away’ fighter.
“What we’ve got here is a fight between a world-class ex-champion who is still in his prime. He’s not a veteran and he’s not past his sell-by date.
“He understands the mistake he made in his preparation for the loss against Baluta and he is a bit like a wounded cat – you’ve got to be careful of him and you’ve got to be mindful that he’s going to come back much stronger than he was before. That’s the fight we’ve prepared for and we’ve got a lot of respect for him.
“He’s a well-grounded, professional southpaw with very specific assets that he makes work for him.”
Booth says Conlan had been fighting with the handbrake on since he took over his training from Manny Robles early in 2018.
“Mick’s career since he has been with me has been a progression of him drilling things in fights that we’ve been working on in the gym,” said the Londoner.
“In his fights I’ve been calling him back in certain aspects knowing that he can get the experience and the understanding (of what we’ve been working on in the gym) and still win the fight comfortably when he puts his foot down.
“Now the chains are off because we have someone who we look at as a world champion because the fight against Roman (super-bantamweight unification in 2019) could have gone either way. That’s the level that Mick’s at now.
“He was an elite amateur and he has taken that into professional boxing. TJ is the one to test that. We want to know that Mick is the best in the world and you can only know that if you beat the best in the world.”
Doheny cast doubt on whether the fight would go ahead when he objected to the switch from super-bantam to featherweight but those issues have been resolved and he hit the scales yesterday at 123.8.
“I know it’s a tough fight but these are the type of fights that I get up for,” said the Australia-based fighter who won his world title by beating Japan’s Ryosuke Iwasa in Tokyo.
“For my last performance against Baluta I wasn’t motivated; I was unprofessional in my approach and my performance in that fight but this is a different story.
“There is a lot more at stake, there is a world title shot after this so I am fully focussed.”
Conlan, who weighed in at 124.2, well short of the 126lb featherweight limit, says he’ll have an answer for anything Doheny conjures up tonight.
“TJ is a very experienced fighter, a world class fighter and he has shown that time and time again and a guy who has upset the applecart every time he has been in someone’s backgarden,” said Conlan.
“I know that everything he has, I have an answer for. He is very confident, he is a tough guy but I believe I’m a better fighter and I’ll show that.”
He’ll need to. A work-in-progress performance won’t do tonight against a man who comes to fight and is desperate to win. Conlan doesn’t have to think, he just has to do and, if the fighter we’ve been waiting for and hoping for finally arrives, then he can win what could turn out to be a classic over 12 rounds.
Tactical Take
TJ Doheny said the best was yet to come after he lost a super-bantam unification classic against Danny Roman in 2019 and it’ll take the best Michael Conlan we’ve seen yet to beat him.
The Laois-born southpaw fought like the warrior he is against Roman and his clubbing left hands pushed the Californian to the brink until salvos of bodyshots eventually wore him down and tipped the balance of a very competitive, top quality contest.
Offensively, Michael Conlan has the range, footwork and speed to create the openings Roman did. He has to be patient and wary of chasing Doheny, who likes to box off the back foot, and he cannot afford to hang around on the outside leaving his chin out to dry or he will be picked off by Doheny’s accurate counters.
Former IBF champion Doheny will look to disrupt Conlan’s rhythm and prevent him from setting himself for combinations by staying out of range and he will try walk him onto that potent back hand. He has a good chin and although he isn’t a one-punch knockout artist he has 16 knockouts on his 24-fight record and is proven ruthless and skilful finisher.
The home crowd, the age difference (Conlan is five years’ younger) and the step up from super-bantamweight are all in the Belfast man’s favour. He’ll look to target the body, break Doheny down round by round and come on strong in the second half tonight.
