McCarthy delights the Devenish but tougher tests will come

It’s fair to say that sparking an overmatched Bulgarian at a small hall show in Belfast may not put the cruiserweight division on red alert. But if Tommy McCarthy progresses as quickly as his team, fight fans, boxing scribes and the man himself all believe then the top cruiserweights in Ireland and the UK will be finding out sooner rather than later. As far as Tommy is concerned speed brings power.

“I always say that if you walk into a wall it won’t hurt you but if you drive into a wall you’re going to die,” was his erudite analogy.

Spaiyski immediately resembled somebody that looked like he’d just walked into a wall. The Bulgarian may not have been the stiffest test ever brought over to these shores but such was the ruthless nature of McCarthy’s intent it is unlikely he will be rushing back again in a hurry.

“The speed of my hands and the technique were both there and it’s another KO on my record and a step closer to where I want to go,” continued McCarthy.

“Training hard every day for these fights means I don’t have to be exactly on the weight so I weighed in for this fight at 14st 8lbs and the championship weight is 14st 4lbs so I’m not killing myself to make weight. I’m meant to be boxing in Dublin on November 15 and I’m looking to do a scheduled six-rounder already. Next year I want to be getting in the mix with some names because I feel that with my talent I don’t need to do too much learning. I’ve got good amateur experience and I feel that cruiserweight is there for the taking. Pat’s a brilliant manager and everything he said he would do for me he has done so far. I don’t there is a better manager in the country than Pat Magee and I feel that he is going to guide me the way he guided Brian [Magee].”

Overall, McCarthy clearly enjoyed his evening’s entertainment in the Devenish but admitted he would rather have rumbled with one of his previous opponents (both dispatched soundly over in England but each lasting slightly longer than Spaiyski). Tommy possesses a ruthless desire to not only beat his foes but comprehensively knock them out and if a target presents itself his intentions are always to find a finisher.

“I don’t want to say anything but a couple of fights down the line I’d love to get in with [Ian] Tims because he’s the number one cruiserweight in Ireland. Well, I’m the number one cruiserweight in Ireland but he’s the other one!”

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