Title Collision Course- Lee Gormley Eyes Up Teo Alin Clash
Lee Gormley believes an all-Irish showdown with Teo Alin is edging closer to reality — and the Belfast fighter is already sharpening his focus for a potential November date.
The 33-year-old super featherweight secured a stoppage win last time out, courtesy of a performance he labelled his “best yet.” But while pleased with his own momentum, the fighter who was a boxing scribe before he was a boxer eyes are firmly fixed on what he sees as his biggest opportunity so far: a clash with fast rising prospect Alin.
Indeed, the proposed bout could be a first title clash for both, with the prettiest belt in Irish Boxing, the BUI Celtic title, likely to be on the line.
“It’s a fight that’s been sort of verbally agreed months ago really,” Gormley told Irish-boxing.com. “There’s no animosity or bad blood between us — it’s just a good all-Irish fight. Both of us wanted it from the start.”
The pair were linked as far back as the spring, with discussions intensifying around the blockbuster Crocker-Donovan II card at Windsor Park. Gormley admits he briefly allowed himself to dream of sharing that stage but it now seems destined for a Hammer Boxing card.
“That would have been unreal. Cracker Donovan 2 at Windsor Park — a dream fight for me and for Teo. But it didn’t happen, unfortunately. I got my hopes up a wee bit too much for that,” he admitted.
“Both sides want it. I tweeted out and messaged yesterday just to push things along and get it over the line. For me, as a fighter, I just like to have a date in mind and something to aim for. November’s looking good, and it’s all systems go.”
The origins of the matchup go back to conversations around the vacant Celtic title. With a relatively small pool of fighters at the weight, the Belfast man said the fight was an obvious one to make.
“Stevie Morton from Boxing NI actually first mentioned it after one of my fights — Gormley v Alin for the Celtic title. In our divisions, there aren’t that many of us, so these fights are very easy to make. It just makes sense.”
For Gormley, the clash with the Holy Trinity graduate represents the natural next step after building through his early “learning fights” against journeymen. Now, he wants the big domestic tests that sharpen reputations and fuel progress.
“We’re all at that stage now where we’ve had our learning fights. It’s time to step it up and have these big domestic fights. That’s why you get into boxing — as Irish fighters, we want to test ourselves against each other. So yeah, why not?”
While Gormley stresses there’s no grudge, he believes the fight with the Padraig McCrory-mentored fighter is exactly the type that will get fans buzzing. “I’ve followed Teo even from his amateur days. We’ve wished each other luck online here and there. It’s all business, nothing more. Just a good fight that people want to see.”
