Headline News

Keane McMahon hopes Jade Karam fight will prove he is better than other Irish welter prospects


Keane McMahon [3(0)-0] takes a step up this weekend and is keen to prove he is one of Ireland’s top prospects, full stop.

The Dublin welterweight boxes on the ‘Celtic Clash 6’ card on Saturday night where he faces Cork-based South African Jade Karam in what will be his first fight over six rounds.

McMahon has proven to be a slick, well-schooled boxer in his three fights thus far but there has been no huge hype around the 23-year-old.

‘The Iceman’ McMahon wants to change that on Saturday night and show that he is a genuine top level talent and not just an above-average youngster on the small hall circuit.

“I just think that, after this fight, people will see how good I am,” he told Irish-Boxing.com

“It’s about skills and I think I’m too technically gifted for all of them at the moment.”

“Who are the welterweights? There’s me, [Lewis] Crocker, [John] Joyce, Dylan Moran who I boxed as an amateur, there’s loads of good guys and I think I’m the best – I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t think I was.”

A fight against a game opponent will help – although McMahon does not want to be drawn into the narrative that this is a massively risky test.

“People are saying this is a big step-up – it is a step-up but I don’t think it’s a big step-up, it’s a step-up for him!”

“I’m full of confidence. I just think it’s about levels and I’m technically superior to him. He’s tough and he’s strong but it’s about levels in boxing.”

Karam has gone the distance with Irish middleweights Alfredo Meli and Jordan Latimer – running the latter close – hile he was stopped early by Rohan Daté.

Again, though, McMahon is not dwelling on his upcoming foe and isn’t reading in to any past performances

“C’mere, I don’t look at any of them,” he said. !I don’t care. He’s fighting me, I don’t care about the lads he’s boxed, he’s boxing me. If I was to study him he could come in and do something different.!”

“I actually did a few rounds sparring with him last year. He was up at middleweight at the time and I dealt with him comfortably enough. I’m not worried about him – I respect him as an opponent but I’m just looking to do the business and move on.”

“Hopefully it’s another six after this and the more people with winning records the better. I want scalps.”

There is an energy and passion to McMahon – who has had well-documented problems in the past with his mental health.

Despite an imperfct camp, the David Murphy-managed fighter id delighted to report that he is in top form currently.

McMahon outlined how “I had a niggle in the hand and I was out for six weeks, I wasn’t really doing anything.”

“I haven’t had much sparring for this fight, we’re trying to cram the sparring in. I’ve only done five sparring sessions but I’m super fit and the sharpness is coming back.”

“Mentally, I’m brilliant. If this was two years ago I would have gone off the rails over my hand.”

“At the end of the day it’s all about learning to adapt and I just adapted my training. I wasn’t sparring or punching with the left hand but I just worked around it.”

dpg

logo may

Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

x