Last Chance Saloon for Healy
By Jonny Stapleton
IRISH boxing’s renaissance man Ciaran Healy is determined to produce a boxing master piece in France this Saturday night, but believes he will have to sprawl his opponent all over the canvas to ensure he gets one more chance at the big time.
A desire not to be remembered as journey man has seen a career resurgence of late and the Belfast fighter has earned his biggest career opportunity, as he challenge’ Bilel Latreche at Salle Auguste Delaume in a super middleweight contest.
The two weight Irish champion has been staying out of Belfast saloons in a bid to ensure he makes the most of his last chance boxing saloon and is planning a KO victory that could lead to a double title shot.
The Belfast veteran’s opponent is already penciled in to fight Morrade Hakkar for the IBF International super middleweight title and the WBA Inter-Continental super middleweight title in December
However, Healy plans to erase Latreche name from Hakkar’s record and replace it with his own.
“Training has been good. I have been flat out and living like a monk!,” Healy told www.Irish-boxing.com. “I have Gerard McCafferty’s (trainer) balls busted but he gets me to the gym and puts me through it. I think they are thinking I am respectable enough to go on his record but easy enough to beat, but I am going over to win by hook or by crook. It is probably the best opportunity I will ever get and I will be in his face from start to finish. Your are never winning on points over there so I know what I have to do. It is last chance saloon time.”
France is not quite destination unknown for the 36 year old, who has shared the ring with Jamie Moore, Paul Smith and James DeGale and proved he is above Irish domestic level with knock out wins over John Waldron and Brendan Fitzpatrick.
However, the post card home the last time Healy went to France didn’t make for pleasant reading to say the least. He lost a points decision to recent Dean Byrne defeater Frank Haroche Horta but only after a horrible journey over.
“The last time i fought in France it was a nightmare. Our flight got cancelled and we had to wait in Dublin Airport for eight hours. Then we flew to Paris to fly to Lyon and got delayed for hours again. We ended up getting to the hotel at 8am. We still had no food to make weight. It was just a nightmare. Then I fought. I done ok in the fight but your never winning on points over in France. It is payback time now.”
Not previously know as the most dedicated boxer Healy seems to be enjoying his time back at St John Bosco’s Gym and they certainly seem to be getting the best out of him.
“St John Bosco Gym is a great place to be at present. It is buzzing at the moment with Michael (Conlon) qualifying for London 2012 and Jamie Conlon also doing a bit there and the youngsters all doing brilliant.”