O’Sullivan on course for European title shot
July 5 Jonny Stapleton
Gary Spike O’Sullivan’s proved within 30 seconds of his highly anticipated midleweight title clash with Robbie Long that he has out grown the Irish domestic scene.
However, it won’t be long before the Cork man is trying European belts on for size and fighting at the level he belongs, according to Pascal Collins.
The Irish middleweight champion struck a blow for Cork and left renowned Dublin tough man, Long flirting with the canvas in round one of their middleweight Irish title fight on the Battle of the Capital show on June 25.
So impressively devastating was Spike performance in a bout, that was more film short than the entertaining matinee expected, the National Stadium faithful began to predict the middleweight will play a leading role at a higher level in the not to distance future.
And it seems the South Circular Road experts have got it right once again, as Collins revealed Frank Warren is lining up a September Commonwealth or European title fight for the undefeated pug.
“Spike will fight for Frank Warren in September on a card with Stephen Ormond. We are negotiating a title fight at the moment. It will be bigger than EU or Celtic, either a Commonweatlh or European title,” Collins said before revealing Irish fight fans might get another to witness another summer Sullivan soirée.
“He will fight in Dundalk on a show promoted by Maria Sullivan and in the States before Christmas.”
Despite happily reflecting on his most recent win O’Sullivan, who was errily clam and focused enroute to the ring and powerfully destructive in it last month, stressed domestic battles are now a thing of the past for him.
He dismissed any suggestions he would challenge Irish super middleweight belt owner, EBA champ and WBA top 20 fighter Anthony Fitzgerald and is confident under the guidance of Warren he can get big fights.
“I have bigger fish to fry than Anthony Fitzgerald to be honest. Frank is looking after my career now and I will fight who ever he and Pascal tell me too, but I doubt that will be Anthony.”
And having glanced briefly toward future events O’Sullivan seemed more content talking about past occurrences and his most recent and impressive win.
The fighter, who beat Ciaran Healy, another first round knock out victor on June 25 to claim the Irish title, claimed the tactic was to get Long out early.
He believed the Tallaght man has the abilty to absorb punishment and come back stronger so he planned to have the ’King’ all shook up in round one.
” I am happy with how the fight went. I was planning to get him out of there as early as possible. Robbie is a tough nut and he gets stronger as fights go on so we planed to stop him if a chance arose. I could feel I was much stronger than him from the off. Robbie is a tough guy and he was never knocked out before. I have a lot of respect for Robbie,” O’Sullivan added.
