Fuel To The Fire – Kevin Cronin Confident Weight Gamble will Pay Off
It’s all about the refuel for new super middleweight Kevin Cronin – and not because he is looking forward to stuffing his face after sacrificing to make super middleweight.
Cronin is planning an assault on the super middleweight domestic scene, indeed the BUI Celtic and Irish title challenger at light heavyweight has an Irish title fight lined up with Craig McCarthy at 168lbs once things go to plan in Cork this weekend.
He argues making sure they do go plan and he has his hand raised at the lower weight is all down to getting the refuel right.
The Kerry favourite admits taking the weight off has proved a little harder than first expected but believes how he puts pounds on between Friday’s weigh-in and Saturday’s fight is so important. The Miltown-born Tralee-based 26-year-old says if he gets things correct after stepping off the scales he will be an ‘animal’ at super middle.
“It’s definitely a tougher cut than I expected,” he tells Irish-boxing.com.
“I reached a weight that would be the limit for a normal person in any gym but as a fighter, I’ve to go the extra bit. Still as tough as it is I know once my refuel goes good I’ll be an animal in there and at this weight.
“I’ve been saying I’m moving for a while and we tried making both the Morrissey fights down at 168lbs but wasn’t allowed, so now’s a good time,” he adds.
Cronin believes he makes a mistake with how he makes the weight he is in against an opponent that will take advantage.
“I’m facing southpaw Santos Medrano, tough geezer and won’t be easy get out of there.
“I can’t give him an inch, if I do he will take advantage, which is why I keep mentioning the refuel. The refeul needs to be perfect because if it’s not and Medrano notices, he will come at me. He done it three or four fights ago to an English opponent and got the win.”
Cronin will be expected to defeat the Spanish-based Nicaraguan but a stoppage over a fighter that brought Thomas Finnegan, Connor Coyle and even Padraig McCrory the distance would stand-out.
“He’s taken a lot of huge punchers the distance, no Irish fighter has stopped him before, I’m not looking for a statement but I think if I get him out of there it will be a bit of an eye-opener. But at the end of the day we want the win and move on and get the Irish title immediately,” he adds before predicting some real Kerry noise in Cork on the Martin Horgan-promoted bill.
“The Kerry fans are coming in numbers again, they’ve been behind me all along and it’s just growing and growing.”
Photo credit Doug Minihane
