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Declan Geraghty names 5 fighters he’s targeting following impressive Johnny Quigley win


Following another impressive away win and another known name on his record, Declan Geraghty [17(4)-2(1)] is ready for titles – and he has more than a few targets in mind.

The Dublin super featherweight overcame a talented opponent, a hostile crowd, a harsh point deduction, and a final-round scare to emerge a deserved 96-93 winner over Scouser Johnny Quigley at the Guild Hall in Preston on Saturday night.

It was a win which should catapult Geraghty back into the mix for big fights with domestic rivals.

The southpaw slickster has lost all-Irish fights in the past, being disqualified versus Jono Carroll and stopped by James Tennyson – both whilst being up on the official scorecard.

With good wins now over Michael Roberts Jr and Quigley, Geraghty feels its time for rematches and titles – and he has listed five names on his radar.

The 130lbs division has some big fights coming up – Carroll defends his IBF Inter-Continental title versus Marco McCullough in Belfast on April 21st, Tennyson challenges European champion Martin J Ward in London on May 5th, while Belfast-based Ronnie Clark is coming off a stunning win over Zelfa Barrett with talks of a rematch in the Summer.

All these names are wanted by Geraghty who outlined how “I’m happy to take whoever wins between the two boys for the European title, whoever wins between Jono and Marco McCullough, and then I’ll take Ronnie Clark.”

“Whoever comes next I’m willing to take. I’m here to win titles and that’s what I want next. Anyone who has titles, I’m willing to take.”

The winner of the European title clash especially appeals to the EU silver medalist who still laments his sixth-round stoppage loss to Belfast’s Tennyson last year.

Geraghty noted how Tennyson’s fighting for a European title, he’s #4 in the world, and I schooled him for six rounds. He caught me with two shots and put me down with two shots.”

“Look, we’re all human and we get hurt, but I knew what I was doing, the referee should have never stopped it. It was a small ring and it suited him down to the ground – and I still schooled him apart from the two knockdowns.”

“I want the winner of him and Martin J Ward next. Martin J Ward is an absolute gentleman and a good friend of mine. There’s no bad blood but he has a title I want.”

Then, of course, there is the rematch with Jono Carroll which has been called for since the second their first fight – the Irish Fight of the Year for 2015 – ended.

The pair were due to rematch in Belfast on the Carl Frampton v Horacio Garcia undercard in November but Geraghty was forced to pull out. Carroll subsequently put in a star-making performance against Humberto de Santiago – a win which has always been dismissed by Geraghty as being overrated.

Indeed, Geraghty feels he has made a statement with his win over Quigley who, after being dropped twice against Carroll, finished strong and lost a split-decision in their IBF East/West Europe title fight last Summer.

The confident Dubliner stated that “this [his own fight with Quigley] should have been for a title.”

“I went to his backyard, 20 minutes away from him and beat him by three rounds. He went over to Jono’s backyard and [Jono] won on a split-decision.”

“That says it all.”

Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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