Owen Duffy keen on Cavan dinner show in 2019

Owen Duffy [3(2)-0] stepped up to six rounds on Friday night and the Cavan light middleweight is keen to keep busy and keep progressing to a big show in his home county next year.

The Shercock fighter boxed on the Ray Moylette Homecoming card in Mayo and wants Assassin Promotions to bring boxing to the Breffni County.

The outfit had spoken of doing a range of shows in 2019, from big TV bills to intimate dinner shows, and Duffy wants to be front and centre in the new year.

READ: Assassin hope to put on 10 shows in 2019

‘The Butcher’ rounded off his 2018 with a second round stoppage win over Croat Ivan Duvancic.

Duffy upped the ante in the second round of their clash at the Royal Theatre in Castlebar and Duvancic would retire at the end of the round citing a nose injury

While he had limited amateur experience, Duffy stepped up to six rounds in just his third fight and is more than happy with his progress.

“I felt good in there,” he told Irish-Boxing.com afterwards.

“I just stuck with my gameplan. I was delighted with it.”

“Obviously you have to be critical of yourself but there was a lot I showed that me and Barry [O’Meara, trainer] had worked on – setting up for move down the line, staying nice and relaxed, head, body, head, body,” he described before acknowledging where he needs to work.

“He had a bit of a bang on him and he caught me once or twice,” admitted Duffy.

“There was a phase in the second round when I went really calm, too calm, and it allowed him to come on and he caught me once or twice.”

The biggest stage the 24-year-old has ever boxed on, Duffy kept focus well.

The Ulsterman outlined how “you could definitely feel the difference in the atmosphere, it was a big step up. I tried not to let it get to me.”

“I did myself a favour, I didn’t even look, I just walked straight through and didn’t pay attention. My debut was more intimidating because everywhere I looked there was someone shouting – so I didn’t look this time! I just focused on the ring and my opponent.”

Dealing with atmosphere could prove good experience for Duffy who hopes to headline a show in Cavan in the new year.

The Celtic Warriors fighter is attracted to the idea of a small dinner show in a county where boxing is not a major force.

A BUI Celtic title fight would perhaps be a perfectly-suited headliner for such a card and an excited Duffy said that “I’d absolutely love to have a show in Cavan.”

“All going well and I stay injury-free, we’ll do a dinner show in Cavan next year.”

“I put it out [the idea of a Cavan show], almost for a laugh, just to see what people’s response was and everyone jumped on it.”

“It’s completely different, in Cavan it’s all GAA so something like that would be class,” he added before hinting at a return to the ring in the near future.

Already back in camp, Duffy said that “there are talks of a fight, I’m not sure where, at the end of January, so it’ll be literally straight back into it for me.”