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Giddy Up! – Paddy Gallagher promises to dominate Gary Murray in BBBoC Celtic title defence


There’ll be no need for a photo finish on Friday night according to Paddy Gallagher [11(7)-3(0)].

The Belfast thoroughbred defends his BBBoC Celtic welterweight title in Edinburgh against Glaswegian Gary Murray [12(0)-0] on the big MTK Scotland show at the Meadowbank Arena.

Gallagher has run plenty of tough races over the years and believes he is levels above a relative novice in the pros who has never gone beyond six rounds.

Indeed, he describes it as a “one horse race.”

Murray ‘Mint,’ is an MTK stablemate of Gallagher and a rated prospect, but the Lenadoon man is somewhat unimpressed.

Gallagher told Irish-Boxing.com that “I’ve seen bits and pieces of him. To be honest, I’ve only seen a couple of his fights, they seem all the same over the past two years.”

“My trainer Ger [McManus], he’s been watching loads, he loves watching his boxing, and he’s been telling me all about him so I more or less know what I’m in for and what’s going to be in front of me.”

Gallagher is back in the saddle following the cancellation of his IBO Continental title fight with Ricardo Silva during the Summer however he doesn’t see the ten-round fight for the belt he won against Tony Dixon as being a close one.

The Commonwealth Games gold medalist outlined how “it’s going to be a one-horse race to be honest. I’m not going to go in and blast him out in one or two rounds, that’s not big headed it’s just the way it is.”

“I’m going to go in, I’m going to box him up, I’ll do him up over the rounds, and I’ll finish him mid-rounds.”

“I may not finish him in six rounds, I may not finish him at all, may not turn out that way, but it’s definitely going to be a one man show.”

Murray has no knockouts to his name, however Gallagher isn’t paying heed to that stat and noted how “you can’t really read into that too much because he fought 12 journeymen who are built to survive and are f*cking nightmares to knock out.”

“He hasn’t been beat, he hasn’t been stopped. Maybe if he can’t throw a shot, he can take a shot – one of my shots though, no!”

There is a sizeable core of Irish boxing fanatics making the trip across the water for the fight and Gallagher wants to put on a big performance for them and himself.

The 28 year old detailed how “I’ve about thirty or forty, and the people coming over for Paddy [Barnes], they’ll obviously be supporting me as well, and whatever lads in Scotland as well. It’ll be a good squad over there, a good atmosphere, and hopefully me putting on a good show.”

“He’s 12-0, I’ll go in, do a good job, make a bit of a statement, get a better ranking and then for whatever title – I don’t care. Throw whatever title at me and I’ll take it.”

Gallagher is keen to get the job done on Friday night and secure himself a spot on the biggest Irish card of the year just six weeks afterwards.

The ‘Frampton Reborn’ bill takes place at the SSE Odyssey Arena in Belfast on Saturday November 18th, and Gallagher – who is in the final furlong in terms of a British title shot – wants to move to the next level here.

‘The Pat Man’ explained that “I’ve talked to MTK and they said they’ve to weigh a few things up. Obviously, because there’s three big names on the show as it is, four with Tete included, it’s tough to do an undercard because there 137 MTK boxers!”

“There’s a lot of people they have to satisfy and get fighting. All being well though, I will be on it and fighting for a bigger title.”

Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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