DECLAN Geraghty hasn’t achieved what a boxer of his talent should have but the 33-year-old Dubliner, who headlines Saturday night’s Belfast show (live on TG4) against Owen O’Neill, intends to sign off on a high.
As stylish a boxer as you’d hope to see, ‘Decco’ has fallen short when he has stepped up to title level but the five losses in his 29-fight career have all come against good company in Jono Carroll (twice), James Tennyson, Marco McCullough and Archie Sharp.
Geraghty has five wins on-the-trot since that loss to Sharp and, having moved up from super-feather to welterweight, says he’s travelling north for his showdown with home-town favourite O’Neill full of confidence.
“I’m looking forward to going up, getting the job done and enjoying it,” he said.
“He (O’Neill) is bigger, he’s stronger, he’s rough and aggressive and he comes forward so it’s definitely going to be a hard 10-rounder but it’s a fight that I 100 per cent believe I will win. It’ll be a gruelling fight and I’m expecting a hard night because I know he’ll come with all guns blazing.”
The atmospheric Girdwood Community Hub was the venue for the best of unbeaten O’Neill’s dozen victories. He was under sustained pressure throughout his Celtic super-welterweight title fight with Owen Duffy but conjured up a devastating combination to knock the Cavan fighter out in the last round.
“Everyone keeps telling me that I’m the best natural boxer to come out of the country for years,” said Geraghty.
“Some things haven’t worked out to plan but now I’ve gone up in weight and I’m getting bigger and stronger in myself so hopefully I have a more all-round game now than just technique. I definitely haven’t achieved what I believe I should have and anybody who truly knows me and knows what I bring to the table would say that too.
“Training has been good. I’ve done 11 solid weeks of training, two or three times a day, six days a week so it has been a gruelling camp but it’s been better having the extra bit of weight on. I’m not having to worry about cutting as much weight as I used to so it’s been a good camp.”
Geraghty will have his father Declan senior and Phil Sutcliffe senior in the corner so he won’t lack for good advice as the rounds tick by. Duffy has never fought at 147lbs before so it will be interesting to see how he performs at welterweight. Meanwhile, Geraghty is moving up from super-feather. He has never been regarded as a big puncher and how he deals with O’Neill’s power and physicality are massive factors for Saturday night.
“I fear no man,” he said.
“I’m confident I’ll come up and put on a performance and do the job. 100 per cent.”
Girdwood Community Hub, Belfast, Live on TG4 (Doors open 6pm, first fight 7pm, tickets available on the door):
Boxing Union of Ireland Irish Welter (vacant): Declan Geraghty (24-5) v Owen O'Neill (12-0)
BBBofC Celtic Fly (vacant) and Commonwealth silver flyweight title: Conor Quinn (7-0-1) v Chris Liddell (5-1)
Super-featherweight: John Cooney (8-0) v Louis Norman (14-14-1)
Featherweight: Colm Murphy (8-0) v Joshua Ocampo (8-16-5)
Middleweight: Dominic Donegan (9-5-1) v CJ Wood (4-17-2)
Featherweight: Connor Kerr (1-0) v Luke Fash (3-94-3)
MATCHROOM haven’t run a show in Belfast since back-to-back Ryan Burnett world title bills six years ago and Eddie Hearn says he can’t wait to return to the “famous fighting city” for what is shaping up to be a special night on December 2.
Michael Conlan will have new coach Pedro Diaz in his corner for the first time when he locks horns with Jordan Gill and the highlight of the undercard is the all-Belfast clash between Tyrone McKenna and Lewis Crocker.
“I can’t wait to return to the famous fighting city of Belfast for our first show since 2017,” said Hearn who also promotes Katie Taylor’s rematch against Chantelle Cameron in Dublin the previous weekend. Taylor and Conlan went back-to-back earlier in the year and both lost so Irish fight fans will hope for some payback on both sides of the border.
“Mick has a new training team in his corner, and he’ll be looking to make a statement against former European and Commonwealth Champion Jordan Gill as he targets World Title action in the competitive 130lb division,” said Hearn.
“A brilliant main event is supported by a stacked undercard as Caoimhin Agyarko faces the biggest step up of his career against former British champion Troy Williamson, Tyrone McKenna and Lewis Crocker and super-lightweight Sean McComb takes on former British and Commonwealth champion Sam Maxwell over 10 rounds. Another huge night of boxing in store for fight fans around the world live on DAZN.”
JAMES McGivern will take on Josh Sandford for the Celtic lightweight title as the co-headline act in ’Rumble in the Hills’ at the Aura Leisure Complex in Letterkenny on November 18.
Former Commonwealth Youth Games gold and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist McGivern shares top billing with three-time European amateur gold medallist and 2016 Olympian Joe Ward (9-1) at the 2,000-seater venue in Donegal. Moate southpaw Ward will face Prince Oko Nartey (11-1) over eight rounds at light-heavyweight.
“The card is stacked with unbelievable talent,” said Jason Quigley of Sheer Sports.
“It is an honour for us to have Joe Ward as one of the main fights. I boxed with Joe and competed with him for years as an amateur. If you look at his resume, he was one of the most successful in the amateur scene. Joe is working with Lou DiBella in New York and we’re working together on bringing Joe home for this fight.
"James McGivern is an absolutely fantastic talent and he can really go places.”
Also on the card are the Walsh brothers, Liam and Paddy, Dubliner Craig O’Brien (13-3) and Donegal’s London-based super-middleweight Danny Boyle (2-0-1) who gets the chance to showcase his skills on home soil.
The bill also features Ireland-based Ukrainian super-welter Maksym Molodan (2-0), Tyler Jolly (2-0), Galway heavyweight Jason Myers and Navan super-feather Cain Lewis (3-0-1).
