31 July 2009 – By Mark Doyle

Sam Sexton believes he has landed a crucial early psychological blow ahead of his Commonwealth heavyweight title defence against Martin Rogan.

The pair came face-to-face again at a press conference in Belfast on Thursday and former champion Rogan, clearly still seething after being controversially stopped in their first meeting in May, launched into a furious diatribe against Sexton.

Some claimed that Sexton was left rattled by Rogans passionate outburst but the champion insists that nothing could be further from the truth.

“Rogan has got a screw loose up top and I think I’ve got him wound up so much that he’s doesn’t know what he’s doing or saying, he argued.

“He was just plain crackers, banging the table with his hands and rambling on and on about wanting to crush me and paint me on the canvas.

“At one point his mouth was foaming up and I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head!

“Boxing is about controlled aggression and if he’s lost it at a press conference then he’s going to lose it again on October 9th and I’m going to be in control.

“I read in the press that I was left shaken afterwards which made me laugh, I came away feeling that had a scored a big victory.

“Rogan is a bully, he tried to bully me in the fight and didn’t work, he tried to bully me at the press conference and it didn’t work. A bully gets what he deserves and that’s a good pasting.

“Now our press conference is out of the way I don’t have to see him until October so I can just concentrate on my training and get myself in the best shape ever.”

Watch a clip of the press conference at: http://www.u.tv/UTVMediaPlayer/Default.aspx?vidid=123825&chapid=101604&arti_id=c3d3f7af-7602-4343-b460-38978166f49e

Tickets, priced at 25 (tier), 30 (tier), 40 (central tier), 60 (floor), 100 (floor) and 150 (ringside) are available from:

Odyssey Arena Box Office 02890 739 074 www.odysseyarena.com

Ticketmaster 0870 243 4455 www.ticketmaster.ie

Frank Warren Promotions 01992 550 888 www.frankwarren.tv

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29 July 2009 – By Mark Doyle

British middleweight champion Matthew Macklin will challenge Amin Asikainen for the Finn’s European crown at the Manchester Velodrome on September 25.

In confirming the bout, Macklin also revealed that he has signed with Ricky Hattons fledgling promotional company.

“Its fitting that Im working with Ricky now because weve been good friends for so long. Weve probably sparred over a hundred rounds together and weve always supported each other throughout our careers, he enthused.

“Ricky promised that he would deliver me the big fights and in my very first fight with him Ill be fighting for the European title so its a huge opportunity for me.

Ive seen quite a bit of Asikainen and Ive got a lot of respect for him because hes been campaigning at European title level for the last three years.

Hes a big puncher and brings all that experience to the table but he has frailties as well and I believe Ill be able to set a pace that he cant cope with.

Unsurprisingly, Hatton is thrilled that Macklin, who claimed the British title with a stunning stoppage win over Wayne Elcock earlier this year, has agreed to join his new promotional company.

Ive had my fair share of success with World titles in the ring but now I want to start producing World Champions as a promoter and I firmly believe that Matthew Macklin will be one of them, The Hitman enthused.

Ive known Matthew for a long time, weve trained together, sparred together and worked each others corners over the years and Ive always believed that he has the ability to go all the way.

He won the British title in very impressive fashion last time out and I think he has the ability to step straight up to European title level and Im delighted to be able to give him that opportunity on one of my shows.

Now that his once stop-start career has finally gathered real momentum, Macklin believes that he is not far away from realising his dream of winning a world title.

I really feel that things are starting to come together for me now since winning the British title, he said.

To be honest, I had planned on winning the British title a lot earlier in my career. Im 27 now so the next few years are going to the most important so when the chance at the European title came along I knew I had to grab it.

The European middleweight scene is red hot right now and particularly in Germany where they seem to be dominating the division even on the World stage. Obviously Arthur Abraham has just moved up to super-middleweight and you have Sebastian Zbik, who just won the interim WBC title while Felix Sturm has held the WBA title for the last 3 years.

Another German, Sebastian Sylvester is fighting for the vacant IBF title in September and Asikainen is rated number 4 with the IBF so a win over him would leave me knocking on the door of a World title shot.

Asikainen, though, is supremely confident of derailing those plans, believing that fighting on foreign soil will bring the best out of him.

Coming to Manchester to fight is not a problem for me. As an amateur I fought several times outside Finland and as a pro I have won 3 of my 4 fights abroad including a knockout win over Sebastian Sylvester in Germany. Actually I think that fighting away from home kind of suits me better as it takes some of the pressure off, he mused.

I have power in both hands. I knocked out Sylvester with my left hand and I stopped Yori Boy Campas with my right hand so I am armed and dangerous.

I am known as a knockout artist, but I never come looking for the knockout. If it happens, it happens but I will prepare for twelve hard rounds and I believe I can win either on points or by KO.

Macklin had originally intended to take on undefeated Commonwealth champion Darren Barker but that fight has now fallen by the wayside.

Macklin commented: I had been looking forward to the Barker fight because I firmly believe that I would have got him out of there early but the opportunity to get my hands on the European title was just too good to pass up. If Barkers honest with himself he would have done exactly the same thing in my position.

This is an opportunity for me to step up another level and I believe its a far tougher fight than Barker anyway. Asikainen is a proven operator at European level and hes a World ranked fighter.

Theres been a lot of hype around Darren but in reality hes yet to prove himself at British level. Ive beaten the likes of Yory Boy Campas, Wayne Elcock and highly rated Europeans like Geard Ajetovic and Alexey Chirkov. Who has Barker beaten?

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28 July 2009 – By Mark Doyle

Martin Rogan has vowed not to let Sam Sexton off the hook when they meet for the second time, at Belfast’s Odyssey Arena on October 9.

In the pair’s first meeting, in May, Sexton claimed Rogan’s Commonwealth heavyweight title when, in the eighth round, referee Dave Pariss ruled, on the advice of the ringside doctor, that The Entertainer could not continue on account of the swelling around his left eye.

It was a bitterly difficult defeat for Rogan to take because he had had Sexton in all sorts of trouble in the minutes before the stoppage. Indeed, at one point, Rogie urged Parris to stop the fight because a dazed – but upright – Sexton was clearly incapable of defending himself.

It was a remarkable show of sportsmanship from the Irishman but he knows that it ultimately cost him his title and his proud undefeated record.

“Anyone who saw our fight knows that Sexton was out on his feet and ready to go when I got pulled out because of a swollen eye,” Rogan argued.

“I was one punch away from victory, and I certainly didn’t feel like a loser when I left the ring.

“Sexton is going to be toast when I catch up with him on October 9, and fans are going to be in for a treat because I won’t be holding back if I’ve got him in trouble.

“I was too nice last time out but I’m planning on a ruthless, knockout performace in October.”

Sexton, meanwhile, is well aware that Rogan is gunning for revenge but is in no doubt that he will again emerge victorious.

“I know Martin is going to be motivated ahead of our rematch and he’ll be train twice as hard to rip that title away from me,” the 25-year-old Englishman admitted.

“I know all of Rogan’s fans thought I got lucky in Belfast but the result will be the same.

“I’ll go into the trenches again and I’ll stop him again as well.

“I know exactly how to beat him now, and as long as I don’t do anything stupid then I’m going to win this fight more easily than I won the last one.”

Tickets, priced at 25 (tier), 30 (tier), 40 (central tier), 60 (floor), 100 (floor) and 150 (ringside) are available from:

Odyssey Arena Box Office 02890 739 074 www.odysseyarena.com

Ticketmaster 0870 243 4455 www.ticketmaster.ie

Frank Warren Promotions 01992 550 888 www.frankwarren.tv

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26 July 2009 – By Mark Doyle

Patrick Hyland is targeting a major world title after adding the IBF International featherweight belt to his rapidly-expanding collection in Tallaght on Saturday night.

The undefeated 25-year-old, who also holds the Irish featherweight and IBA Intercontinental super featherweight straps, took his record to 17-0 with a commanding unanimous points win over Abdu Tebazalwa (119-109, 118-110, 118-110) and Pajo feels that he is now ready to make a real step up in class.

“I was comfortable the whole way through the fight and I was happy to go all 12 rounds; that was my game plan from the start. I was even thinking that even if I catch this guy early on itd probably be better to experience going the full 12 rounds for the first time,” Hyland told reporters immediately after his latest title success.

“I controlled my fight throughout, but he was a good opponent. I only saw a video of him this morning so I knew he could bang but I think I was just a little too sharp for him on the night. He hit hard but every jab I threw landed so that made things fairly easy for me.

“I did get a bit frustrated at times. He was grabbing me into clenches a lot and I lost my balance a few times but I just worked through that. I stayed behind the jab and kept letting the right hand go. I landed some pretty good body shots as well and I really just felt on top at all times.

“So, Im delighted. Id like to defend the title now and then take it from there.

“Thats three belts I have now so hopefully my next one will be a major title.”

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02 July 2009 – By Mark Doyle

Oisin Fagan cut a forlorn figure as he sat in his dressing room after Saturday nights points defeat to Eddie Hyland at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, Dublin.

However, in spite of his massive disappointment at failing to capture the vacant IBF International super-featherweight title Gael Force insisted that he intends to fight on.

“I dont think Ill retire. I really thought that I had it in me to win that fight,” Fagan admitted.

“I hadnt got losing in my mind at all. I hadnt really thought about what Id do if I lost because I was really expecting to win this one, so Im just very disappointed.

“But thats boxing and I think Im going to carry on what else would I do?!”

Fagan had dropped down from light-welterweight for the clash with Hyland but the 35-year-old Dubliner insisted that weight had not been a determining factor in the fight.

“I felt good at super-featherweight. It was hard to make the weight, I have to say. But I think its a good weight for me because I felt quite strong, he explained.

“Still, it was a struggle to get down there. Its like a full-time job in terms of training and nutrition so Id have to be a full-time pro for me to be a super-feather all the time.

“Id have to have a good sponsor behind me, a good financial backer because I wouldnt be able to hold down a job and pay the bills if I was trying to stay at 130lbs. You have to do mad stuff to get down there. I was training two and three times a day for this weight.”

Asked what he intends to do next, Fagan replied: “I have to look for a job now so I dont know what Im gonna do…..

But Ill probably be back in the gym on Tuesday!”

As for the bout itself, which was scored 118-111, 116-112, 118-110, all in favour of his opponent, Fagan had little complaint about the outcome.

However, he did feel he was rather harshly treated by the judges.

“The decision was fair, the right man won but I didnt think the scoring was right. I thought it was much closer than the scorecards suggested,” he argued.

“I would be up for fighting him again and its good to hear that hed be up for it, too, but obviously the money would have to be right.

“But we were talking beforehand about Gatti-Ward and I think what we produced tonight was in memory of Arturo.”

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26 July 2009 – By Mark Doyle

Eddie Hyland was understandably overjoyed after getting the better of Oisin Fagan over the course of 12 bruising rounds at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght on Saturday night.

The eldest Hyland brother claimed the vacant IBF International super-featherweight title with a thoroughly deserved unanimous points win over Gael Force, in what will undoubtedly rank as one of the finest domestic dust-ups in Irish boxing history.

Certainly, Hyland felt that he and Fagan had served up something truly special.

“I think that has to be the fight of the year. It was just toe-to-toe for 12 rounds; a world-class fight. Hats off to Oisin because hes a great fighter but I think I just boxed a little cleverer than he did,” the reigning Irish super-featherweight champion told reporters immediately after the bout.

“I trained hard for this fight, I wanted it badly, I predicted that Id win it and thats exactly what I did. But I cant say enough good things about Oisin. Hes a true warrior.

“He never really hurt me at any point but it was tough going. I knew going in there what to expect as Ive sparred him a lot.

“But I just think hes a great guy and great fighter and I would be open to fighting him again. Id never say no to Oisin. Hes a great friend.

“But I am looking forward. Ive gotten through this and now Im thinking of bigger and better things.

“I dont know whats in store for me yet so Ill just have to sit down with my people and see what they want to do next.”

The three judges at ringside scored it 118-111, 116-112, 118-110 in favour of Hyland, but even he admitted that the bout had been far closer than those scores suggested.

“If it had gone the other way I probably wouldnt have had any complaints! We both fought our hearts out in there and either of us would have been a worthy winner after that,” he confessed.

“But I felt Id clearly won the fight and I thought that he ran out of a bit of steam after the eighth around. Still, credit to him, he was still there at the end.”

Of course, Hyland was also still there at the end, which was particularly satisfying for the Tallaght native, given that his stamina had been questioned before the bout.

“A lot of people underestimated me. Ill fight until Im dead and thats the Gods honest truth. Thats the only way youll stop me. I think I proved that against Kevin OHara and I definitely proved it tonight,” he declared.

“But we both deserved a lot of credit because it was a really great fight.”

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25 July 2009 – By Mark Doyle

Eddie Hyland claimed the vacant IBF International super-featherweight title with a thrilling unanimous points victory over Oisin Fagan at the National Basketball Arena on Saturday night.

Both men had promised a fight which would serve as a fitting tribute to late Arturo Gatti, and they did not disappoint in that regard, the pair producing a war worthy of comparison with any one of the great man’s three epic encounters with Micky Ward.

Hyland got the nod on all three judges scorecards (118-111, 116-112, 118-110) and there can be no doubt that he had been a worthy winner as he had landed the cleaner shots throughout; Fagan’s badly swollen left eye was evidence of that.

However, the margin of victory was somewhat generous – on two of the cards at least – given that Fagan had taken the fight to Hyland for much of the evening.

The early rounds had been also ridiculously tough to score too, with the momentum constantly switching from one man to the other as the pair stood toe-to-toe in the centre of the ring.

Fagan poured forward right from the off, which was hardly a surprise as Gael Force would be the first to admit that he knows no other way to fight. However, Hyland stood his ground, more than willing to trade with his fellow Dubliner.

The pace in the opening four rounds was unrelenting and the action truly awesome. The question was: could both men sustain it? The answer was: unequivocally, yes.

Fagan, of course, has been in many wars down through the years but there had been some doubt beforehand as to whether Hyland was capable of enduring such a savage test of stamina.

It transpired that he did, and not only that, he also had the intelligence. Hyland never shied away from engaging with Fagan on the inside but he was smart enough to step outside occasionally and use his superior boxing skills to repeatedly beat his 35-year-old opponent to the punch. Hyland was more economical in his work and also far more efficient: he consistently landed the cleaner, heavier punches.

He took control of the contest between rounds five and eight. Fagan kept coming, true warrior that he is, and his superior work-rate probably saw him reduce his deficit on the scorecards.

However, Hyland reasserted his dominance in the tenth and appeared to be on the verge of a stoppage win when he sent Hyland stumbling back on to the ropes with a couple of massive left hands. Fagan was undoubtedly in trouble but he simply would not submit and he responded in the predictable fashion: by fighting back, reclaiming the centre of the ring with a desperate flurry of punches. It was awe-inspiring stuff.

Hyland came out strong at the start of the 11th, perhaps sensing (or maybe just hoping!) that Fagan had nothing left to give, but the reigning Irish super-featherweight champion was unable to finish what he had started in the previous round and the pace dropped.

The pair, though, were merely saving themselves for one last courageous show of intestinal fortitude and the final stanza proved utterly absorbing as a consequence.

With the crowd on their feet and the names of both men ringing around the arena, Hyland and Fagan produced three minutes of beautiful brutality.

Fagan, knowing that he needed a knockout, forced the action and, at one point, after pinning Hyland back up against the ropes, appeared to have his fellow Dubliner in trouble.

However, Hyland, as he had done throughout, had an answer for everything that Fagan asked of him and the pair quickly resumed hostilities in the centre of the ring.

With just under 20 seconds it looked as if the pair had finally run out of gas. Indeed, with both men resting their heads on the other’s shoulder, seemingly no longer having the energy to throw any punches, it appeared as if all they were doing keeping one another up.

However, then the ten-second warning came and the two unloaded on each other once again until the final bell sounded, bringing an end to what must rank as one of the greatest fights in Irish boxing history.

- – - – - – -

It was certainly an unforgettable night for the Hyland family, with Eddies younger brothers Patrick and Paulie both triumphing in their respective bouts on the same bill.

Paulie claimed the vacant IBF International Featherweight crown with a commanding points win over Abdu Tebazalwa.

Pajo, as he is known to his supporters, was always in complete control against his Ugandan opponent, boxing effectively behind his jab on his way to a unanimous points win (119-109, 118-110, 118-110).

However, Tebazalwa proved an extremely worthy foe and one could have also easily argued that he was somewhat harshly treated by the judges.

He certainly came to fight and did not seem daunted by the prospect of fighting in enemy territory.

Still, Hyland controlled proceedings throughout and landed a number of massive blows. Credit to Tebazalwa, he absorbed everything that the hometown favourite had to offer, though it has to be said that his gumshield twice rather dubiously ended up on the canvas during spells of intense pressure from Hyland.

Indeed, Tebazalwa looked ready to fall in the 12th until he was afforded some much-needed recovery time to reinsert his mysteriously misplaced mouthpiece.

However, while Tebazalwas tactics might have infuriated Hyland at times it was he who ended the bout with a new title wrapped around his waist and Pajo will now be targeting some of the biggest names in the featherweight division.

The same could also be said of the youngest of the Hylands, Paulie, who showed his fighting spirit in seeing off the challenge of a game Robert Nelson earlier in the evening.

Paulie looked set for an early nights work when he dropped Nelson with two stinging body shots in the opening round of their super-bantamweight clash.

However, while the Irish champion marched forward in search of an early stoppage, Nelson still had enough about him to keep Paulie at bay and see out the round.

Nelson proved a wily and spirited competitor, even managing to shrug off the effects of a nasty cut to his left eye the result of a sharp uppercut to last the scheduled eight rounds.

The referee scored it 80-75 in Paulie’s favour and that the bout went the distance was no bad thing for the talented 24-year-old given that this was his first outing since February.

And any frustration he might have felt must have long since vanished by the time he left the arena in Tallaght with his brothers Eddie and Patrick, two proud new holders of IBF International titles.

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24 July 2009 – By Mark Doyle

Martin Rogan and Sam Sexton will meet again for the Commonwealth heavyweight title in Belfast on October 9.

Sexton dethroned the previously undefeated Rogan as champion in May, with referee David Parris calling a halt to the contest in the eighth round because of severe swelling around the left eye of the Irishman.

Rogan was incensed by the decision at the time, not least because he had been on the verge of stopping Sexton earlier in the round.

As a result, The Entertainer is delighted to have been granted an immediate shot to reclaim what he believes is rightfully his.

“I can’t wait for justice to be done on October 9th and my two fists will be handing out the judgement,” Rogan vowed.

“Everyone knows I won the last fight and the referee saved him, but that’s in the past and I can’t cry about it now. I just have to beat Sexton this time.

“I made mistakes last time and Sexton won’t get that opportunity again, I am going to absolutely destroy the man.

“I beat him with one eye, this time I will have two perfect eyes and I’m going to be coming at him like no one has ever done in his life. There is nowhere for him to hide in that ring.

Sexton, though, has a wholly different view of their first meeting but is promising a conclusive knockout victory second time around.

“Everyone knows that if the fight was anywhere else it would have been stopped because of the state of Rogan’s eye,” he argued.

“It’s all on dvd for you to see: I out-boxed him in every round apart from the eighth. He is just a brawler with no boxing skill and that only thing he’s got is his strength, but that wasn’t much to worry about.

“Remember, I took the fight in Belfast and went into the lions den and beat him and now I’m going back there and will do the same again, only easier. This time there will be no stoppage and he’s going to get knocked out.”

Tickets, priced at 25 (tier), 30 (tier), 40 (central tier), 60 (floor), 100 (floor) and 150 (ringside) are available from:

Odyssey Arena Box Office 02890 739 074 www.odysseyarena.com

Ticketmaster 0870 243 4455 www.ticketmaster.ie

Frank Warren Promotions 01992 550 888 www.frankwarren.tv

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24 July 2009 – By Mark Doyle

Oisin Fagan comfortably made the weight for Saturday’s eagerly-awaited clash with Eddie Hyland in Tallaght, Dublin but the latter needed an extra two hours to do likewise.

Ironically, it was veteran campaigner Fagan who had been expected to struggle with the 130lb limit, given that his last outing had been at light-welterweight. However, Gael Force weighed in at 129lbs 8ozs, much to his obvious satisfaction.

Hyland, meanwhile, tipped the scales at 130lbs 6ozs the first time around but, thankfully, the reigning Irish super-featherweight champion made the weight at the second attempt, two hours later, meaning that the vacant IBF International super-featherweight title will be on the line when the pair collide at the National Basketball Arena.

Elsewhere, Patrick Hyland and Abdu Tebazalwa both made weight for their clash for the vacant IBF International Featherweight title, with the latter coming in bang on the 126lb limit.

Paul Hyland weighed in at 120lbs 8ozs for his scheduled eight-round super-bantamweight clash with Robert Nelson, who came in at 121lbs 2ozs.

SATURDAY, JULY 25 National Basketball Arena, Dublin Vacant IBF International Super-Featherweight title: Edward Hyland (130lbs) v Oisin Fagan (129lbs 8ozs) Vacant IBF International Featherweight title: Abdu Tebazalwa (126lbs) v Patrick Hyland (125lbs 4ozs) Robert Nelson (121lbs 2ozs) v Paul Hyland (120lbs 8ozs) Peter Cannon (164lbs 2ozs v Anthony Fitzgerald (164lbs 6ozs) Robert Long (164lbs 2ozs) v Denis Sarjavtos (163lbs) Gary O’Sullivan (71.8kg) v Arthurs Jaskuls (70.9kg) Jamie Power (195lbs 6ozs) v Kirill Pshonko (186lbs 6ozs)

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23 July 2009 – By Mark Doyle

Oisin Fagan has gotten very few lucky breaks during his boxing career so he intends to make the most of the one which has come his way courtesy of Eddie Hyland.

On Saturday night, Fagan will meet the eldest of the Hyland brothers for the vacant IBF International super-featherweight title at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, Dublin, in what should prove the most exciting domestic dust-up of the year.

The well travelled Fagan, now 35, thought that his days in the spotlight were over after his second-round stoppage defeat at the hands of Amir Khan last December. That Gael Force had suffered a broken leg in the opening stanza of that particular bout was rather harshly overlooked by many, and Fagan was dismissed as a spent force on the back of the loss.

Determined to prove himself once more, though, he put in long, gruelling hours in the treatment room and declared himself fit to fight on the undercard of Bernard Dunnes world title showdown with Ricardo Cordoba in March. The only trouble was, the Boxing Union of Ireland did not agree with him and he was consigned to the shadows once more.

However, Paddy Hyland, Eddies promoter and manager, offered him a slot on a show in Mayo in May and Fagan made a successful return to the ring, stopping Asen Vasilen in the fifth of six scheduled rounds.

Hyland senior came calling again later in the summer, offering Fagan a shot at eldest son Eddie, who was keen to take on a talented and respected fighter who would take him to ‘the next level’.

The only problem on paper was that the bout would be at super-featherweight and Fagans last two bouts, against Khan and Vasilen, had been at lightweight and light-welterweight respectively.

However, Fagan accepted the fight immediately and is now adamant that the Hylands are going to rue their generosity in handing him an unexpected title shot.

“Its hard to explain how much Im looking forward to this fight. This is a chance that really did come out of the blue for me and Im very grateful to the Hylands for that fact, he admits to irish-boxing.com.

“But I had been thinking of dropping down to super-featherweight to challenge Eddie for his Irish title anyway. A lot of people thought that I had the frame for it and that I could pull it off, so it had been on my mind for maybe three weeks before the call came from the Hylands.

“I think that they might have thought that I’d be still hovering around the ten stone mark when they got in touch but I’d already started to lose the weight, so I think they could be in for a big surprise on Saturday night.

“They probably thought I’d struggle and maybe come in a little weight-drained, but even though it has been tough, I feel good and am pretty confident. I think I’m in great shape.

“And this is the perfect opportunity for me to put the disappointment of the Khan defeat behind me. I was devastated at how the injury ruined my chances that night because I really believed he was vulnerable, but I’m delighted with the way things have turned out.

“I made a quick recovery, got a fight under my belt in May and now, here I am, at 35, fighting for a title which will push me back into the top 12 in the world. I really can’t wait to get in there.”

However, Fagan is well aware that in Hyland, who is seven years is junior and the current Irish super-featherweight champion, he is going up against a very accomplished performer.

The former schoolteacher, though, is confident that he will have too much savvy and ring experience for his opponent.

“Eddie’s a very good fighter; I have a lot of respect for him. He’s tough and he’s strong. He’s also more skilful than me – but then again, who isn’t? he jokes.

“I’m not known for my boxing skills. I’m known for my toughness, my resilience and my work-rate and I really feel that I can wear him down. I’m relentless in my pressure and I think that will eventually take its toll on him.

“I’ve been in with a lot of top quality guys during my career and all of them have found me awkward to deal with so I believe that I will have too much for Eddie on Saturday night.”

However, whatever happens in the ring, Fagan believes that there will be no bad blood between the pair after the final bell sounds.

“Eddie’s a really nice guy. I get on with him very well, and all of the Hylands really,” he reveals.

“Hopefully be able to have a drink together afterwards.

“But this is boxing and sometimes you have to fight friends so for 12 rounds I’m sure we’ll both be putting our friendship to one side and really going at it because there’s a lot at stake here.

“This is a great opportunity for both of us and Im going to do everything I can to make sure that I’m the one who takes it.”

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