Operation 2020 – ‘The Operator’ Owen O’Neill has big plans

Owen O’Neill [3-0] is going to stay that bit smaller to make sure he doesn’t mess up his plans for a big 2020.

Speaking after registering his third pro win in the Devenish just over a week ago the new to the scene light middleweight revealed he is plotting a big year next year.

What exactly his plans are he couldn’t and wouldn’t say, but he did reveal he is planning to ensure he has a better chance of not messing up his 2020 dreams by improving his walk around weight.

The popular and exciting fighter has quickly learnt that camp should be about learning rather than getting in shape – and as a result he is going to ensure he is stricter between camps.

“We have big plans for next year. I can’t say much, but they are big,” O’Neill told Irish-boxing.com.

“What I can say is I am going to stay at 75kgs, I am going to sit on that now. I want to start the next camp at that weight then you’ll see me improve even more. I won’t have to focus on cutting as much weight and I won’t be trying to take weight off an hour before the weigh in.

“I have a lot to work on this is only my third fight, I’ve had a small amateur background so going into camp in better shape can only help.”

A more mature O’Neill was talking post his victory over tough and awkward journey man Paul Cummings [2-41(7)] on Celtic Clash 9.

‘The Operator’ was very pleased with his performance, suggesting it was the best of his career to date.

The Gerard McManus and Daniel Anderson trained fighter believes Cummings was the best he fought, but revealed he felt more in control and more comfortable than his previous two outings.

“It was a hard scrap against the best opponent, but the easiest one yet too, if that makes sense,” he adds.

“I felt comfortable the whole fight. Ok I did this mad weight cut, which I shouldn’t have done, so I slowed the last round, but I really felt comfortable and confident in there.

“It’s not that he was my easiest opponent more I feel like I have improved. I really feel I controlled that fight. His punches didn’t really hurt me and I felt I could do what I want,” he added before expressing a new found respect for journeymen.

“He was awkward, he was tall, but then he fought like he was small. He crouched and tried to work in close and he was tough.

“I could hear the body shots were hurting him so I thought I was going to take him out to the body and maybe got to focused on that. He was tough and wasn’t going anywhere, he took a few good right hands too, I felt them in my hands so he had to have felt them. Then in the corner he was screaming in my ear, some of those lads are as mad as they are tough.”

Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)