‘Let Me Headline’ – James McGivern tells promoter he’s a bill topper

James McGivern has told Elite-Sheer Promotions he wants to top his own bill.

‘The Natural’ believes he is a headline act and is confident he has enough about him to spearhead an Ulster Hall fight night.

The Belfast super featherweight domestic title hopeful was part of the promotional link ups first show at the National Stadium on Saturday night and the Jason Quigley-mentored stylist will be part of anything they do in the future.

There is talk of a return to Dublin in June but McGivern, who scored a first-round knockout win at the famous stadium, suggests Elite Sheer should go North and promote him in the Ulster Hall.

The St Georges graduate wants to headline at the iconic venue in a title fight.

“I want to do one of these shows in the Ulster Hall,” he told Irish-boxing.com.

“Let me headline it for the BUI Celtic title or even the Irish title, I’m eligible for the Irish title because that was an eight-round fight. Let me headline at the Ulster Hall.”

McGivern’s clash with Denis Bartos was scheduled for eight but lasted less than one.

The 25-year-old dropped the Czech with three perfectly timed precision punches to win his first fight on the South Circular Road since he beat George Bates to become National Elite Champion in 2019.

The victory was McGivern’s second consecutive inside-the-distance win after he went the distance in his opening four bouts.

He points to a stint in LA and fight-or-flight spars as the catalyst for the change in power punching approach.

“My style has changed a bit,” he adds.

“I’m sitting down on shots more, trying to hurt people. I wasn’t going looking for it but I knew it was going to be there and it was only a matter of time really,”

“When in was in LA we were sparring in the pro gyms and every spar is like a war. If you are going to do six or eight rounds you get off your toes, get ready to tuck up and sit down. Then the harder you punch the more you hurt that guy so the slower he’d go,” he continues before pointing out there is an element of giving the crowd the blood they want when getting the job done early.

“That’s the idea behind it, and let’s be honest, amateur boxing is for the sexy stuff. 90 percent of the people out there don’t want to see sexy boxing they just want to see blood and people get knocked out. People are paying to come to watch you, so you owe it to them.”

Photo credit @irish_guy_takes_pictures  Matthew Spalding