IT’S Tommy McCarthy’s birthday on Saturday and what better way to celebrate than becoming European cruiserweight champion for the second time?
McCarthy travels to Poland on Thursday and will face Michal Cieslak, the 28-2 local hero whose losses have come in world title rumbles in Kinshasa (scene of the iconic Ali-Foreman ‘Rumble in the Jungle’) and London against Lawrence Okolie.
The Belfast fighter is up against it, but he used to that. A road warrior throughout his career, the first time he won the European belt he had to travel to London and beat Bilal Laggoune in Wembley.
“My whole career, right from the beginning, I’ve been the away fighter,” he said.
“From I first got into pro boxing I’ve been on the road the whole time.”
Dealing with travel and a hostile arena is one thing but dealing with Cieslak is the main thing. The Pole has 18 stoppage wins on his card and they all came on home soil – his only away trips were the two world title losses. He is strong and durable and can hit so McCarthy has to shake him out of his comfort zone on Saturday night and he is confident he can do that.
“I don’t see this as ‘win or bust’ for me – I see it as win and go on and win the world title,” he said.
“I know I can win this fight and I don’t put pressure on myself thinking: ‘Ah, if I don’t win I’m gonna retire’ - I haven’t even thought about that.
“Make no mistake, Cieslak is a world-class boxer, a world-class cruiserweight so I’m under no illusions about the challenge that’s in front of me. But I’m quietly confident. I’ve watched him and I don’t see anything that he does that makes me go: ‘Right I have to watch out for that’.
“Everything that he does I’ve seen before and I’m well experienced now so there’s nothing new that I’ve had to get ready for in terms of what he does. Obviously he’s the home fighter and he’s a strong guy but there are no easy fights at championship level so I’m prepared for whatever he brings.”
McCarthy had signed a contract to fight US-based Armenian-born Frenchman Arsen Goulamirian but the WBA champion slipped off the hook after broadcaster Canal+ pulled out of covering live boxing.
Winning back the European title will put McCarthy into position for a world title shot and he is determined to make it happen.
“Winning will be massive for me,” he agreed.
“It’s very difficult to win the European title once – even getting in a position to challenge for it is hard – so to win it twice will be great for me and great for Irish boxing as well. I think it will be my biggest win so it’s all to play for.
“I’m looking forward to getting over and getting the show on the road. It’s my birthday on Saturday as well so I’m looking forward to getting myself a present.”
Read more:
Dylan Eagleson: I'm ready to bounce back with a bang in pursuit of Olympic dream
Carl Frampton: Hugh Russell always had fighters' interests at heart which can't be said of everyone
TEN days after she won the Australian super-bantamweight title in Queensland, Shanell Dargan was whacking a punch bag almost 10,000 miles away at Gilford Boxing Club in rural county Down.
Dargan made the trip with her coach Aaron McNally (whose family comes from Portadown) and amateur stablemates Brian Crossling and Cane Plevnarovski.
“I want to learn as much as I can while I’m here,” she explained during a break from training on Thursday night.
“I’m like a sponge, I want to soak everything up. My grandma came from Armagh and I’ve always wanted to come to Ireland. So to be here, and to be boxing, is a dream come true.”
Dargan won her title by unanimous decision against Amber Amelia at the Gold Coast Convention Centre on the undercard of Can Xu’s WBO super-welterweight victory over Brian Mendoza. Her route to becoming a champion is a tale of dedication and self-sacrifice and she intends to keep pushing on.
“I’ve got a five year-old boy so I take him to training with me,” explained Dargan, whose singing talents took her to the semi-finals of Australia’s X-Factor.
“We leave at 4.30 in the morning and drive to the gym in Sydney which is about an hour away. Then he goes to school and I work as a PT (personal trainer) and then I go training again at six in the evening. So there has been a lot of hard work – I’m a full-time mum and a full-time athlete.
“I always wanted to become Australian champion, I only started boxing four years ago and I’m 30 now so I came late to the sport and I’ve got to make up for lost time. This is just the start hopefully.
“I’m hoping to fight for a WBC Australasian title, I’ve got floating bone fragments in my hand since the title fight so I want to keep pushing forward.”
JAMES McGivern hopes his ‘Rumble in the Hills’ with Josh Sandford on November 18 will be the night that catapults him to a glittering career as a professional fighter.
McGivern has seen good friends Colm Murphy and Conor Quinn land titles this year and the 7-0 Belfast lightweight gets the chance to do likewise when he meets unbeaten Scot Sandford (6-0) for the BUI Celtic lightweight title at the Aura Leisure Complex in Letterkenny.
Pro boxing returns to Letterkenny after a 13-year absence with McGivern set to appear in the chief support bout to Joe Ward’s Irish homecoming against Prince Oko Nartey over eight rounds.
McGivern is now working with Scotland’s three-weight world champion Ricky Burns who also trains Sheer Sports stablemate Tyler Jolly, another on the Letterkenny bill.
“I feel like this is the start of it and there is a buzz now,” McGivern said.
“It feels like we’re starting to build something now.”
McGivern is managed by former world title challenger Jason Quigley and his first fight under the Sheer banner was in the USA where he stopped Luis Montellano in the fifth round.
“That guy was as tough as old boots,” he said.
“I’ve had a bumpy sort of a ride so far, but you have to roll with it and it’s been no fault of our own. Jason is doing a great job and we’re a great team.
“This is a more aggressive version of me. People want to see big punches getting thrown. That’s what this game is all about.”
