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“I thrive off controversy” – Ray Moylette promises to punish Matt Doherty for trash-talk


Not quite in the same way that enemies of The Avengers regret angering The Hulk – but Ray Moylette has told Matt Doherty he will rue the day he upset the Mayo lightweight.

‘Sugar Ray’ took exception after the Salem-based Irish-American suggested that the Islandeady boxer reneged on a fight offer to take an “easier option” last Autumn and, after hitting back verbally with a “donkey’s flute” analogy, Moylette is ready to dish out some physical punishment this coming Saturday in the Boston suburb of Quincy.

The pair clash on the Murphys Boxing and Golden Boy undercard of Donegal middleweight Jason Quigley’s big comeback fight versus Daniel Rosario.

Moylette suggests the verbal sparring has been as helpful as actual sparring ahead of his latest trip to Massachusetts as it has provided extra fuel for training.

The Assassin fighter told his foe for this Saturday’s Marina Bay-hosted fight that he has insulted the wrong man.

“There’s a little bit of back and forth but it only adds to the excitement for me. I love the big stage and I love the build-up and hype for fights. I thrive off controversy,” Moylette told Irish-Boxing.com.

“He came barking up the wrong tree when he went bad-mouthing me. This dog right here will not only bark back but he gonna bite too. He will see on fight night,” he added before stressing Doherty [8(4)-3(0)-1] is talking from a place of false confidence.  

“He saw me get caught with a right hand in one of my fights and I tasted the canvas for the first time. If he thinks I’ll get caught with the same shot again, he’s in for a major shock. I’ve learned more from that fight than I have from my seve other pro fights. I know what it’s like to be hit, I know what it’s like to get off the floor and win,” explained Moylette who was knocked down by Donte Bryant in September before rallying and securing a split-decision win.

‘Sugar Ray’s’ confidence doesn’t seem to have been dented by the Donte fight and he certainly holds no feat of the straight-talking Doherty.

In fact, he predicts a stoppage win on the Golden Boy card this weekend. Indeed he claims seeing his pending foe hit the floor is all he has been thinking about for the last three months.

matt doherty

“I predict a mid-fight KO,” stated Moylette. “I’m going to hurt him early and when his batteries are running down, my power will still be up. He is going to feel my power from the start and he won’t want to know after that.”

“Boxing skill will prevail and I’ll catch him sooner rather than later.”

“Ever since the rivalry last year I knew it was penciled in for March. I’ve ate, slept, and trained for Matt Doherty the last 3 months. Unfortunately for him, that’s a big thing.”

“In my mind, I have the fight played out already. I’ve never been this confident in my life. I will be surprised if he is still there to hear the final bell.”

Moylette was first tentatively scheduled to fight Doherty for the Massachusetts State title on Murphy Boxing’s St Patrick’s Day show.

However, the clash was moved in a bid to get the fighter, whose only pro TV experience has been as a red velvet jacket-wearing interviewer for TG4, on American television.

As a result the fight has been downgraded to a six-round swing bout contest and there is no strap up for grabs – but will hopefully be shown live coast-to-coast on ESPN and in Ireland on eir Sport.

That doesn’t take away the sense of occasion or the importance of the dust-up for the World Youth Championships gold medal winner. 

Moylette is excited not only about settling a grudge but is hopeful of impressing on an ESPN-broadcast show.  

“It’s a little disappointing it’s not for a regional tittle, but the fight still means the same to me whether it’s for a belt or not,” he continued.

“I’m still going to lay my life on the line to win it. It may not be for the belt but it’s still a massive platform for me to showcase my skills. I have a good fan base in Boston through my family and Murphys Boxing, and now with the help of Golden Boy and ESPN I hope to expand my network.”

There certainly has been extra motivation for the Celtic Warriors Gym fighter going into the clash, but he claims that is not the only reason he will be firing on all cylinders come Saturday.

Having fought eight times in just over seven months since turning over last March, the 27-year-old has had his first break. The fact he hasn’t fought since October means Moylette has for the first time had time to put in a full training camp.

The Westerner feels he has benefited to the point that he will be at his utmost best this weekend.

“I haven’t fought since the end of October so I had plenty of time to work with Packie Collins in the gym in preparation for this fight. The break came at exactly the right time as I had a very busy first year we might have taken shortcuts in our training to prepare for fights as they sometimes came within days of each other.”

“When I say shortcuts I don’t mean we slacked but we couldn’t really get into the training camp regime as you need to be put into the trenches to come out stronger the other side. We never got the opportunity to do that as I was usually between fights.”

“I’ve had 12 weeks to prepare for this fight. I’ve never had that opportunity before. You are going to see the best Ray Moylette this Saturday night,” he added before highlighting his hopes for 2018.

“By the end of this year, I hope to break into the European rankings and have my path set out. I’d like to finish off the year with a few regional belts in Boston and North America.”

“I would love to hold an Irish title belt to and it would be even better if I could fight for that back home in Mayo where I’m keen to set up my homecoming show before year’s end.”

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