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Tims: If Sweeney wants Irish title he should fight me on August 30th Dublin show

The last man to hold the Irish Cruiserweight belt – Ian Tims believes that the title is still rightfully his and that if Michael Sweeney wants it, he has to fight him for it.

The pair last fought for the vacant Irish Cruiserweight belt in March 2011, with Tims coming out on top by 97-95 decision in a blood and guts battle. The title has since become vacant due to Tim’s inactivity because of injury and he maintains that its his title if Sweeney wants to trade leather again.

Tims told Irish-boxing.com that he thinks that a rematch between the pair would be perfect for the Eddie Hearn promoted show in Dublin on August 30th and has challenged Sweeney to fight him for the Cruiserweight belt.

“Me fighting Sweeney again would be perfect for show in Dublin on August 30th. The last time we fought everyone said it was a great fight, and a lot of people would love to see a rematch. The truth is I was injured for that fight and I still beat him. I think someone has had a voodoo doll of me recently with the amount of injuries I’ve had the past three years. I had problems with my arms, I had pneumonia, I did ligaments in my knee and ankles and I broke my heel. But I’m clear of everything now and I’m back training which is going great.”

The Clondalkin native went on to point out that as he was the last one to hold the belt, anyone looking to claim it should fight him and claimed Sweeney’s recent overtures towards fighting Belfast fighter Conall Carmichael was just an attempt to get on the Frampton undercard  on September 6th.

He said “I’m ranked number one – the simple fact is they stripped me of the title because of inactivity. There has been no fights in the country. Mel Christe has said I’m the number one contender so I don’t know where he’s getting the idea to fight Carmichael for the title. He was calling for the Carmichael fight because he thought he was gonna get it on TV on the Frampton undercard but that fight wouldn’t last long because Conall would destroy him.

“He has come out and said he wasn’t fit the last time and that’s why I beat him but he did an interview before that fight saying he was in the best shape of his life, that he was in a training camp in Limerick for eight weeks doing strength and conditioning and he was away with the Klitschkos and all that – yet he looked a mess in the ring. He has been in more training camps than Floyd Mayweather and he has never done anything – he’s just a mouth.”

“If he wants to get it on lets just get it on. He should agree to the fight and we will fight. I want to fight him for the Irish title on August 30th. Its my title and I shouldn’t have been stripped of it. If he wants the title he has to fight me for it.”

With what is rumored to be shaping up a stellar fight card in Dublin on August 30th, Irish fight fans could be in for another classic battle between the two top rated Cruiserweights in the country.

 

Derek McKenna

Co-founder of Junior Sports Media who has been covering boxing since 2013. Has extensive experience in sports writing, sub-editing and online journalism. Email: Co-founder of Junior Sports Media who has been covering boxing since 2013. Has extensive experience in sports writing, sub-editing and online journalism. Email: thejuniorsoccerportal@gmail.com

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