Tommy McCarthy gets main man mentoring from Carl Frampton
Tommy McCarthy [18(9)-2(1)] has been getting main attraction advice of none other than Carl Frampton.
The Irish fight legend has been mentoring the European Champion, helping him understand what it takes to be the mayor of the European capital of boxing.
The popular Belfast cruiserweight is on the verge of a world title fight and has been assured if he defeats Chris Billam-Smith [12(10)-1] in Fight Camp on Saturday night he will secure a coveted world title shot.
An Irish victory in the eagerly anticipated British, Commonwealth and European title fight, particularly an impressive one, will also reignite talk of Matchroom returning to Belfast for the first time since they promoted world title winner Ryan Burnett.
Post any big win for either the ‘The Mack Attack’ or his promotional and managerial stablemate James Tennyson talk of big Belfast fights come to the fore – although nothing has materialized in that regard yet.
Becoming Belfast’s leading man is something the 30-year-old Pete Taylor trained fighter wants to explore and he has drafted in a mate who knows a thing or two about being the main fighting man in the boxing mad city, Frampton, to help.
“Me and Carl would often talk about it,” he says when asked about him filling a hole left by Frampton’s retirement.
“He often says the market is there for me to take over from him and make some massive money. It’s great to have Carl as a friend outside of boxing but he has being mentoring me too behind the scenes. It is all exciting but we have to focus on Saturday night.
“This is the fight I have to win to get to the world title, so I’m buzzing for it. There has been a lot of hype over it, because him and Shane [McGuigan] were calling for it every time they were on tv, so now here we are and they have to put up or shut up.”
Speaking previously Frampton has said how ‘Big Tommy’, godfather to his son Rosa, has what takes to take advantage of his retirement.
“Tommy could be the man to bring boxing back to Belfast with the backing of Eddie Hearn and his Matchroom outfit,” Frampton said in a Sunday Life column.
“The Irish landscape has shifted over the last few months. I’ve retired and James Tennyson suffered a shock defeat last weekend. Add in the fact Mick Conlan will fight more often in the States, where he has a big following from the start of his career, and it lives a gap in the market in Belfast for someone to fill.
“It’s going to take someone with the personality and the ability to encourage Hearn to come back to Belfast.
“Tommy has got the skills, he can punch, he’s got the personality and he is a handsome big lad. Almost all the boxes have been ticked.”
Photo Credit Mark Robinson Matchroom
