Kavanagh pushes on in 2011
19 December 2010 – Jonny Stapleton
Jamie Kavanagh will display the benefits of working with pound for pound ring king Manny Pacquiao and boxings latest sensation Amir Khan in a busy 2011 according to Freddie Roach.
Roach has been impressed with the former Drimnagh amateurs progress since joining Wild Card in May and is confident the Spanish speaking Irish star will impress further next year.
The greatest trainer in the world, who has tipped the 2008 Dubliner to become a world champion, hailed Kavanaghs more recent quick fire win on the undercard of Khan/Maidana but claimed the Dubliner will benefit from a move to six rounders over the next 12 months.
He also revealed that despite the former Irish amateur stand outs novice status he has held is own in sparring with Wild Cards superstars.
Jamie has come along way in a short time since being in the states. He’s 4 and 0 with 2KO’s since his pro debut, Roach told Mirror Sport.
Jamie is a quick study, he’s transitioned into a pro as we expected. He’s sitting down on his punches and the results are obvious. When we work the mitts I can feel the difference in his punching power from when he first arrived. Sparring with Manny and Amir is a big task for any fighter and he held his own throughout both camps.”
Because he is so relaxed in the ring he will also prosper by us moving on up to 6 rounds. This will give him time to set up his opponents and break them down. Although this last fight he jumped out of the gate so quick it was over in 44 seconds of the first round. He’s going to drop a lot of guys with his power, but he’ll do it by out boxing them not slugging it out. His best improvement so far came from working with Amir. He took the challenge of helping him to prepare for Maidana very seriously.
Prospect Kavanagh, who is managed by Roach and Steve Feder, does want to return home to fight sometime next year, but will be looking to build a fan base from the Irish fans in America rather than Ireland first.
We look forward to getting back east this coming year. Fighting in New York was great because there is a great Irish community there, Feder explained. They really embraced Jamie in New York as they will in places like Boston, Philly, and Chicago. He’ll be very busy in 2011 and we expect him to continue to impress. It’s been a big adjustment for him to live in Los Angeles far away from his family, but he’s made himself a part of the Wild Card family very easily.
