It will have an Ali-Frazier feel to it – Spike O’Sullivan Wants Ali Bloodline Back at Croke Park
Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan wants to bring the most famous surname in boxing back to GAA headquarters.
The Cork middleweight has called for a showdown with Nico Ali Walsh on Katie Taylor’s historic Croke Park card, arguing that the return of the Ali bloodline to the stadium where the Greatest Muhammad Ali topped a bill against Al Blue Lewis would be one of the stories of the night.
As Taylor prepares to headline what is expected to be the biggest night Irish boxing has ever seen, ‘Spike’ believes the stars are aligning for another chapter in the Ali-Croke Park story.
“The Rebels of Cork against the Muhammad Ali bloodline at Croke Park. Tell me that isn’t an incredible fight!” O’Sullivan said when speaking to the Irish Examiner.
“I had someone send me a mock-up fight poster and it looks damn good.”
For O’Sullivan, the appeal goes beyond the opponent. The 41-year-old has enjoyed a career that has taken him around the world, fought in major arenas and shared cards with some of boxing’s biggest names. Yet the prospect of fighting at Croke Park alongside the Irish Icon ranks above all of them.
“I’ve known Katie for most of my adult life and way back when used to train alongside her in the same gym with the high-performance unit but I’ve never got to fight on the same card as her,” he said.
“To make it happen on this night of all nights would be the honour of my lifetime.”
After returning to the ring successfully late last year, The Celtic Warrior Gym fighter insists he still harbours ambitions of one more run toward major honours. However, at this stage of his career, motivation is everything.
Nico Ali Walsh provides exactly that.
The grandson of Muhammad Ali ended last year with victory in Dubai and has spoken publicly about broadening his horizons by fighting around the globe. O’Sullivan believes Ireland should be one of those stops.
“I’ve done most things in boxing, done stadium fights already, but this would top them all,” he explained.
“I want a fight that would excite me and gives me the desire to get out of bed at 5am. There’s not too many fights that would do that for me but this is absolutely one.”
The Leesider has studied Ali Walsh closely and believes their styles would guarantee entertainment.
“I’ve watched his fights, stylistically it makes for a great fight. Given our age difference, people might say it’s going to be Ali-Holmes but I reckon it will have an Ali-Frazier feel to it.
“He’s ballsy, Nico. He wants to take real fights and this would be a real fight for this stage of his career.
“He said in Dubai in December that he wanted to go on a world tour. The deep, ancestral roots for Nico of coming back to Croke Park would surely fit that bill.”
From a promotional standpoint, the always entertaining puncher sees obvious value too.
“For Eddie Hearn and the promoters it makes even more sense. Cork has a huge history of invading Croke Park and turning up for their own. Me against Ali? They’ll be turning up in numbers.”
