Paddy Gallagher targets British Title following Frampton “boot in the balls”
Paddy Gallagher [11(7)-3(0)] defends his BBBoC Celtic title in October, and the Belfast welter is hopeful that a win could lead to a quickfire British title shot.
It was announced during the week that the popular Lenadoon man will defend his Celtic title for the first time against Gary Murray [12(0)-0] on hostile ground in Scotland on Saturday October 6th – providing him with a new date less than two weeks after his fight on the Frampton homecoming card fall through.
Gallagher is confident going into the bout with the unbeaten Scot at the Meadowbank Arena in Edinburgh, and hopes to use the BoxNation-broadcast bout as a springboard to the British title.
The Commonwealth gold medalist has a provisional date pencilled in for November and is believes it could even be for a vacant British title.
Bradley Skeete is the current British welterweight champion, but has defended the belt thrice and therefore claimed it outright. It is assumed that the Englishman, who has his sights on WBO champion Jeff Horn, will vacate the belt – but timing is everything.
English champion John O’Donnell, who hails from Galway, will defend his belt against Zimbabwean Tamuka Mucha, who defeated Gallagher last month, in what has also been sanctioned as a British title final eliminator. Should Skeete’s impending vacation come before this it is assumed the O’Donnell-Mucha fight will be upgraded to a vacant title bout – and should it come after it could open the door for the highly-ranked Gallagher.
First however, ‘The Pat Man’ must defend the belt he won last year against Tony Dixon, and he is delighted to find himself in another title fight – especially so soon after having his IBO Continental title fight with Swiss champ Ricardo Silva scrapped.
Gallagher told Irish-Boxing.com that “I had a holiday booked for the day after the Frampton show which made things a little bit easier, but it was a boot in the balls for everyone.”
“But it’s great to get another date and I already had two fights scheduled before Christmas so it’s good”
“It’s great to get to defend the title, I didn’t think I would get to, and to fight away it’s good.”
“It’ll be very like fighting at home, only back to front! The atmosphere will be brilliant and it’s a smashing show, I’ll have good support with me too.”
Gallagher is typically laid back ahead of the fight with ‘The Mint,’ and noted how “I’ve seen a small bit of Murray and heard a few things, I’ll be grand.”
Outlining his title roadmap, the 28 year old revealed that “it looks like I will fight again in November in a big fight and depending on the Skeete situation it could be for the British title.”
Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)
