Photograph: boxaldia.com
Alvaro Gaona has travelled a fair distance over to Belfast but the amiable 28-year-old insists that his flight will not be in vain come fight night. The Mexican visitor does not display a brash personality and politely declined when asked to make a prediction before his WBC International Silver title clash with Eamonn O’Kane on April 4.
Photograph: Russell Pritchard
CARL FRAMPTON has been presented with the Boxer of the Year award for 2013 by the Irish Boxing Writers’ Association (IBWA). The award follows the 27-year-old’s European title win over Kiko Martinez and successful title defence against Jeremy Parodi in 2013, with both fights ending in knockout victories.
Photograph: ©Russell Pritchard/Cyclone Promotions
All is well in training camp and the last hard week of sparring is done and dusted. Carl Frampton is mellowing down and readying himself for a WBC eliminator against Hugo Cazares that will, if successful, push him closer to a world title opportunity. Trainer Shane McGuigan has overseen almost 200 rounds of sparring in the build-up and the WBC’s 30-day weight check-in is routinely ticked off the list. Frampton is fully aware that he needs to be in the best shape of his career to mix at such an esteemed level. He admits that with huge prizes within touching distance it is not just about winning his upcoming bout with ‘El Increible’ but looking good in the process.
©Russell Pritchard/Cyclone Promotions
The huge April 4 Odyssey show is sold out and a thrilled Barry McGuigan is expecting plenty of quality bouts to keep an enthusiastic Belfast crowd entertained. The various governing bodies have been contacted and title fights approved. Jamie Conlan will face Benjamin Smoes for the WBO European super-flyweight belt while Eamonn O’Kane will hope to curry favour with the WBC as he tackles Mexico’s Alvaro Gaona for the organisation’s vacant International Silver middleweight title. Four bouts on the night will have belts on the line and if all goes to plan there could be some smaller hall shows planned later in the year for the new breed to flex their muscles on.
Photograph: www.uptonclanofficial.com
Sonny Upton has pushed his unfortunate debut defeat firmly into the past and the welterweight prospect is now eager to positively channel the experiences gained from some high-quality sparring sessions. After negotiating his way past Kevin McCauley in February the 24-year-old showed he has the skills and cool temperament to go far in professional boxing.
Photograph: www.irishmichaelconlan.com
Fresh from his latest Elite title victory Michael Conlan is relishing life in a new weight class. The St. John Bosco stylist is now targeting an assault on the medals at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Photograph: ©Russell Pritchard / Cyclone Promotions
Highly-respected trainer Paschal Collins believes that his lightweight protégé Stephen Ormond is destined for the top and would relish a crack at Terence Crawford if the opportunity arose. Slippery American Crawford left Scotland with Ricky Burns’ WBO title earlier this month and Paschal cited Ormond’s high pressure style and professional attitude as evidence that he could mix with the division’s finest.
Photograph: ©Russell Pritchard / Cyclone Promotions
Conrad Cummings is busy preparing for his appearance on the mammoth ‘This is Belfast’ card and the Tyrone puncher admits that working in Carl Frampton’s London training camp is helping to lift his game to a whole new level. Conrad enjoyed a debut victory over Andrejs Loginovs in the York Hall recently and that will hopefully help to quell any pre-fight nerves when he steps in to the Odyssey cauldron on April 4.
Photograph ©Russell Pritchard / Cyclone Promotions
Belfast trainer John Breen has high hopes for the two leading lights of his gym – Marc McCullough and Jamie Conlan. John reckons that with the right exposure and consistent ring activity the talented pair could aspire to world level. For Breen’s prophecies to come true both men must negotiate past their respective opponents on the April 4 undercard of Frampton-Cazares. McCullough, for one, is expecting to have his hands full with rugged Belarusian Andrei Isaeu in a featherweight 10-rounder for the WBO European strap.
If Carl Frampton removes the threat of world title eliminator rival Hugo Cazares then a shot at WBC holder Leo Santa Cruz could be on the table for the summer. Even though talk of a stadium fight in Belfast may seem the stuff of dreams, Shane McGuigan believe that it is not so far fetched. Shane can envisage Golden Boy Promotions, Showtime TV and their prize asset Santa Cruz travelling across the water to accommodate Frampton in a blockbuster event.