Box Office experience has Carl McDonald ready for Colin O’Donovan title fight
Carl McDonald [3(0)-2(0)] has had a camp with a difference and is now ready to claim his maiden title.
The Jobstown super bantamweight faces Cork’s Colin O’Donovan for the vacant BUI Celtic 122lbs title in the co-headline bout of ‘Celtic Clash 6’ at Good Counsel GAA Club in Drimnagh on Saturday June 16th and had a very special night of ‘training’ earlier this month.
McDonald took a fight with top English super featherweight prospect Jordan Gill on just two days notice. The six-round bout was the show opener for the Tony Bellew v David Haye heavyweight rematch at the 20,000-seater O2 Arena in London.
The Tallaght 28-year-old was outpointed by Gill but left London full of confidence with his team noting how it was a career-best performance. Indeed, McDonald improved as the fight went on, finishing strong and certainly testing the much larger Gill.
McDonald described how “it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down, really. I didn’t perform too badly, I did six rounds and I felt as good in the sixth round as I did in the first so I know the fitness is there to do the eight rounds and do them at a good pace. It gave me a lot of confidence.”
“I know I didn’t win but I was more than able to hold my own against a top prospect. He was very fast and a lovely boxer but I felt comfortable the whole way through.”
“It was a great experience and it was a good way, basically, to step up preparations for my upcoming fight on Celtic Clash 6, that’s mainly what it was for. It was straight back into camp after. it was just like another night of training for me.”
It will all be a bit different on June 16th. In slightly less glamourous surroundings he faces Youghal’s O’Donovan who has shot to prominence following his epic two-fight series with Sallynoggin’s Stephen McAfee at super featherweight.
McDonald is predicting a similarly entertaining fight with a familiar foe next month and outlined how “myself and Colin had a spar about a year ago. It was only one spar but it was a good, even spar.”
“The fight will be good craic. I’ve got a lot of respect for Colin, I like him, he’s a nice lad, and it’s going to be a pleasure to share the ring with him.”
“At stages it will be boxer against fighter on both sides, then there’ll be stages with both of us boxing and both of us fighting, it will be a war at times. I think it’s a very fan friendly fight. I think the fans are going to really enjoy it and I think myself and Colin will enjoy it.”
There no bad blood whatsoever between the two Boxing Ireland Promotions fighters – which is something of a contrast to McDonald’s last all-Irish fight when he was involved in a war of words with Regan Buckley beforehand.
‘The Cobra’ prefers not to be spitting venom and is happy with the respectful build-up here.
McDonald explained that “it’s what we’re here for, it’s what we do.”
“Whatever happened with Buckley, and it was more Buckley’s da, it was unfortunate that went sour. You don’t want bad blood with anyone, it’s a respectful game.”
“You don’t need bad blood to get in there and throw digs, you just want to win, enjoy the night, and then you can shake hands and hug it out after. I really just want to win this and move on to bigger and better things. That’s what I want and that’s what I’m here for.”
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Also featuring on the ‘Celtic Clash 6’ undercard alongside McDonald and O’Donovan will be Blanchardstown cruiserweight Chris Scuvie, Ballybrack lightweight Niall O’Connor, Crumlin super feather Aiden Metcalfe Smithfield welterweight Keane McMahon, Waterford welterweight Rohan Daté, Lucan welterweight John Joyce, Cavan light middleweight Owen Duffy, Sallynoggin super feather Stephen McAfee and a co-headline slot for RTÉ pundit and current BUI Celtic featherweight champion Eric Donovan.
Tickets for the fight night are priced at €55 (ringside), €35 (unreserved) and are available from the boxers involved. Carl McDonald can be contacted at 085 723 6164.
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Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)
