Rendall Munroe has revealed that he would have no issue with giving up home advantage in order to secure a shot at WBA super-bantamweight champion Bernard Dunne.
Munroe was ringside for Dunne’s world title win over Ricardo Cordoba at The O2 in Dublin last month and was not overly impressed by what he saw.
Indeed, the Leicester native’s promoter, Frank Maloney, issued a second offer to Dunne for a bout with Munroe earlier this week, claiming that Dunne could have home advantage and either £200,000 or a share of the promotion.
Munroe, for his part, isn't interested in the negotiation process – he just wants a crack at Dunne’s WBA title, regardless of the money on offer or indeed the venue.
“I’ll fight anywhere. Really, it doesn’t matter where you fight. At the end of the day, it’ll just be me and him in the ring. The crowd can shout all they want but shouting doesn’t throw any punches,” the reigning European champion said.
”So I really wouldn’t care where this fight was. If I have to travel over there, so be it. And besides, I have plenty of supporters who’d be more than willing to go to Dublin to see me fight.
“So I’d just love to see this fight made. But I’ve always said that the promoters and the managers are the ones who should be doing all the talking. I just concentrate on fighting.
”If the promoters involved can make it happen, then, that’ll be great, I’ll gladly go along with it.
”I want to become a world champion and I’m willing to take any opportunity which comes along. So, it’s up to managers and promoters to sit down and do their jobs and then we’ll see what happens.”
Munroe is in no doubt that he has what it takes to dethrone Dunne. Certainly, the fact that he has twice defeated Kiko Martinez, the man who ended Dunne’s reign as European champion with a stunning, first-round stoppage win, would appear to bode well for the 28-year-old southpaw.
However, Munroe is wary of reading too much into his wins over Martinez.
“Well, styles make fights and my style was obviously ideally suited to beating Kiko. But that doesn’t mean I’d definitely beat Dunne,” he admitted.
”But I went over to watch him in Dublin, just to see what he was about, and, to me, no disrespect to the guy, I now know that I can beat him. Both Dunne and Cordoba fought well on the night, it was a real war. But I think that I have what it takes to beat Bernard.
”But I don’t like to talk too much. I let my hands do the talking into the ring.
”I’m a naturally confident person but I’m not overconfident. I respect every fighter I get into the ring with. We’re all going in there with the same goal, determined to win, so every single fighter is dangerous.”
Indeed, Munroe insists that his sole focus at the moment is not on securing a clash with Dunne, but adding the Commonwealth title to his European crown in Sunderland on May 2.
Standing in his way is the modestly talented Ghanaian, Isaac Nettey, who has won just three of his six professional bouts to date.
Victory would appear something of a formality but Munroe says that he is not taking Nettey lightly.
”Some people are saying, ‘oh, this guy’s a nobody, you’ll beat him easily.’ But I train for every fight like it’s a world title fight. And as long as I continue to do that I believe I’ll continue winning,” he reasoned.
”Then, eventually, I’ll end with a world title, with a major belt around my waist. That’s my ambition and I’ll just keep training hard and working towards that.
"And obviously because I have a great manager and a great promoter, that title shot is getting closer. It’s very much in the pipeline now.”
Indeed, Munroe is confident that even if he does not manage to get Dunne in the ring, he will eventually land one of the many big names currently plying their trade at 122lbs.
“There’s some great fights to be made in this division. And if you want to become the best you have to fight the best. That’s how it works,” he said.
”It depends on what type of fighter you are: if you’re in this game to just make some money, well, then, you’ll just take on bums all the time; but if you’re here to win world titles, you have to take on the best.
”And I’m ready and willing to do that.”
