Healy wants title chance
22 September 2010 – Cormac Campbell
Ciaran Healy has told irish-boxing.com that he will fight any opponent for the Irish middleweight, super-middleweight or even light-heavyweight titles.
The Belfast native caused something of an upset in June when he outpointed the then 9-0 Harry Matthews on the undercard of Paul McCloskeys European title defence against Guiseppe Lauri at the Kings Hall. As a result he is more than confident of defeating the best Irish talent irrespective of what weight bouts take place at.
Indeed, 35-year-old Healy – whose 11-15-1 record masks clashes with top class operators including Andy Lee, Jamie Moore, Paul Smith, James DeGale and Anthony Small – has fought for the Irish crown at light-middle, middle and super-middle in the past.
Healy held the light-middleweight belt in 2007, having stopped Lee Murtagh in five rounds. He also holds a 2008 points victory over current light-heavyweight champion John Waldron and as such is confident of repeating the trick.
Indeed, Healy insists that he would be a handful for anybody if afforded suitable preparation time and wants an opportunity of a rematch against super-middleweight champion Anthony Fitzgerald.
(Against Matthews) myself and my trainers knew, he said. I got a call for the fight just over a week out from Tomas Rohan. I said no problem. I think Matchroom were excepting big things from him, but I was training away getting plenty of sparing with Brian Magee, Tommy Tolan and Brian Cusack. I boxed ok that night but I can box better.
Im not getting any younger but I seem to be getting fitter and wiser with age. So Im just looking my opportunity to fight for an Irish title at middleweight, super-middleweight or even light-heavy.
Ive read that Fitz could be fighting Lee Murtagh who I have beaten. He says (middleweight champion) Gary OSullivan is afraid of him. He said after his last fight that he would give me a rematch, but it looks like he is the one who is afraid to fight me.
Fitzgerald defeated Healy on points for the 12st title at the National Stadium in February of this year.
