O’Brien wants Irish title shot
18 May 2010 – By Leonard Gunning
Lancashire based Dublin boxer Chris OBrien 6-0-2 (KO 1) is winding down from a tough training camp before his bout this weekend at the Colne Municipal Hall.
OBrien considers this the biggest fight of his career because he hopes this can lead him to his dream fight for an Irish title.
The former Dublin Dockland Boxing Club fighter has been ran to within an inch of his life by Scottish training partner Kenny Anderson and his trainer and cousin Kevin Mantequilla Maree in preparation for the contest. He has been driven unmercifully up the hills of the Ribble Valley around their Gisburn base in rural East Lancashire for the past four weeks and believes that he is in the best shape of his career.
OBrien faces Halesowens Keith Sheen, who has won two of his three professional fights. OBrien isnt taking him for granted and intends to take his frustration out of the Brummie after his two most recent scheduled bouts fell through. Ive been warned not to take Sheen lightly, outlined The Sheriff, he is a come forward scrapper that loves to bring a little bit of trouble and I am certainly ready.
Preparation for his first eight rounder and will officially finish with a six round spar against Kenny Anderson, who has an upcoming British title eliminator with Tony Quigley, then a pads session with Maree at the Dublin-born trainers gym in the grounds of the Stirk House Hotel, Gisburn.
The Sheriff Street scrapper has his eyes fixed firmly on Stephen Haughians Irish welterweight strap. After having his last bout in Blackpool fall through, OBrien is keen to get his title push back on track and was eager to explain why he has stepped up for an eight rounder, I am chuffed to bits about this fight because the last one fell through, this one was a originally a six rounder but I begged my promoter for an eight rounder to qualify for the (Irish) title under the BUI rules.
Haughian has it at the moment. Ive seen him fight a couple of times and he is a very tidy and clever boxer but I think I have the measure of him and I could give him a good run for the Irish title.
A number of his family members from Mayo and Dublin are travelling across the Irish Sea to watch him fight this weekend and he had promised not to disappoint, adding I would like to get the eight rounds under my belt because I might need the experience for the title shot.
I understand the Irish Board are compiling new rankings and if I perform well in Colne I want them to put me in as the number one mandatory challenger. He (Haughian) can come to Dublin or Burnley or I would even swim across to Belfast to fight him or Willie Thompson for the title.
