Big Oppurtunities to Flock to Teo Alin if he Beats Sheperd on World Title Card
Teo Alin isn’t leaving it to the judges, or at the very least, is leaving them with no choice but to declare him victor.
The Tyrone boxer takes on Kane Shepherd on the big Boxxer show in Cardiff this weekend and has promised to leave no room for doubt in Cardiff, insisting he’ll beat Kane Shepherd “convincingly”.
The reigning Irish Celtic super featherweight champion travels to the Utilita Arena to face hometown favourite Shepherd for the British Celtic title, on the undercard of the Lauren Price vs Stephanie Aquino clash, live on BBC Two.
It’s a tough fight made tougher by virtue of the battleground.
The unbeaten Irish Boxing Awards Fight of the Year winner is fully aware of the challenge that comes with facing a fighter in his own backyard on a major bill — and the potential pitfalls that come with it. As a result, he plans to keep the result in his own gloved hands.
“I want to fight my fight, not fight his, so I’m just going to focus on my plan,” he added.
“If the stoppage is there, I’m going to go for it because even if I beat him on points, there’s a good chance I might not get it because that’s boxing.
“I want to win the fight convincingly, be that on points or by knockout and I want to put on a performance as well as win.
Alin stepped up and won against Lee Gormley in Belfast last time out. Sheperd is another test but rather than getting caught up in studying his unbeaten opponent, he has made it clear his focus is firmly internal.
“I haven’t watched much of him apart from some YouTube videos, but they are old videos, so it’s hard to tell so I’m not paying too much attention to those,” he said.
“Saturday night is about me and what I bring to the ring. I’m focused on my game-plan, not his.”
AThe Holy Trinity graduate heads into the bout full of confidence following his Irish title win over Gormley, though his preparations were briefly disrupted by a shoulder issue in camp.
“Camp’s been good, very good, but I pulled a slight wee injury in the shoulder a few weeks ago,” he revealed.
“I had to rest to let it heal and I had a couple of physio appointments during that time to keep an eye on it, but it’s all good now.”
Now fit and firing, the rising super featherweight sees Saturday’s clash — his first scheduled 10-round contest — as another major step forward in a career that has accelerated rapidly over the past 18 months.
“Big fights back-to-back and title fights back-to-back, so I can’t complain! I wouldn’t have believed you had you told me I’d be in this situation two years ago, it’s mental!” he said.
“It’s a big card, but that’s what I want – big opportunities, life changing opportunities.
“The last fight opened doors for this one and hopefully this one opens some more!”
