Prizefighter goes for the luck of the Irish as Fitzgerald calls out Hope
By: UK Boxing Writer Peter
By UK Boxing Writer Peter Mann
In the November of 2008, the month of the fourth Prizefighter and the scene of the first Middleweight was won by that of Merseysider Martin Murray. This weekend will see the 24th instalment of Barry Hearn’s brainchild.
Lined up in the second middleweight’s to be aired will be that of Simon O’Donnell, Ryan Greene, Joe Rea, JJ McDonagh, Eammon O’Kane, Darren Cruise, Anthony Fitzgerald and a late replacement in Ciaran Healy (replacing Heffron). All fighters arrive with the luck of the Irish and with that of Kings Hall, in the heart of Belfast being the venue.
Also, in a first for the Prizefighter series, the draw will not made in the middle of the ring prior to the first fight. In fact it was made on Wednesday lunch-time and the following quarter-finals were made – Eammon O’Kane and Anthony Fitzgerald in a bout of the tournaments two favourites, Ciaran Healy and Ryan Greene in a fight between the two big-hitters, Darren Cruise and JJ McDonagh whom are former stable mates and sparring partners at Dolphil, and in the last bout Simon O’Donnell will face Joe Rea as the English-based unknown in O’Donnell will take on a much rejuvenated fighter in Rea.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s Irish Middleweight Prizefighter Real Combat Media caught up with one of the contenders, Anthony ‘Fitzer’ Fitzgerald. Dubliner Fitzgerald goes into the tournament with a 13(4)-2(1) record and enters having had his WBA World Middleweight title bout with Gennady Golovkin fall through. “I was disappointed with the title shot falling through,” he told Real Combat Media’s UK Boxing Writer Peter Mann. “But these things happen and that’s boxing but after Prizefighter I hope the chance will come around again.”
Golovkin’s loss will surely be the Prizefighter’s gain and Fitzer, going into the tournament on the back of four wins including a defeat of Alexey Ribcher last time out with a points success in February this year. He is one of only two fighters, JJ McDonagh the other, to have fought in 2012 whereas another competitor, Ryan Greene, has not fought in some 16 months.
Fitzer went on to say though “the Prizefighter is a great thing for a fighter as it is a springboard to greater things.
“But I don’t want to avoid anybody and will take on any of them if I’m honest.”
Of the other fighters in the upcoming Irish Prizefighter two fighters, as mentioned, enter with an unbeaten record as Lurgan’s Ryan Greene, even though he hasn’t fought for over a year, has a 4(1)-0 record and gave an impressive showing with a TKO1 over Laszlo Haaz back in December 2010. The other unbeaten record belongs to that of Dungiven’s Eammon O’Kane, who starts the evening a 3(2)-0 record and who’s last outing was a defeat on points after eight rounds, of fellow Prizefighter contender, Joe Rea back in September last year.
A latecomer to this Prizefighter is that of Belfast’s Ciaran Healy, who brings a vast amount of experience to the bout as well as his 13(4)-1-19(8) record. Healy has a career path that has seen bouts with the likes of Lee Murtagh, James DeGale, Anthony Fitzgerald and Enzo Maccarinelli. Maccarinelli though is one of those defeats Healy has endured prior to the Prizefighter series including a shock defeat to debutant Paul Moffett on points after four rounds, in his last outing.
Fitzgerald though has success in his sights and he finished by saying “tell the Irish public to expect big explosions from me. I don’t foresee anybody as being a potential threat to my success.
“My future after the prizefighter will be very bright for me and I hope to get a European Middleweight title shot and take that off Kerry Hope’s hands.”
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