Tommy McCarthy made it four wins out of four in Dublin’s 3Arena on Saturday evening with yet another foe falling early. Speaking just minutes after starching Martin Horak inside two rounds, Tommy explained to journalists how he had gone about dispatching the Czech boxer on the Macklin-Heiland undercard.
“That’s my style, as soon as I get somebody hurt I get the job done. It took a while to get the distance but when I find the target that’s it over,” he said. “He was shorter than me and he was dipping low and when I jabbed he would come up with the left hook and he caught me with one actually in the first or second so he was awkward enough. Once I figured out the equation it was all good.”
McCarthy, one of Irish boxing’s most promising boxers, is happy with the varied range of opposition he has been presented with since turning professional. He acknowledges, however, that a solid test from an Irish or UK cruiserweight is needed to advance his progress.
“I’ve had different kinds of opponents. The first guy was a journeyman type with a tight guard and then the next one was 6”9 so that was awkward enough. This fella here was a shorter southpaw with a bit of power so I’m adjusting to different styles. I’ve boxed every style there is as an amateur so it’s just about adjusting as a pro.”
The 24-year-old will now turn his attention to a proposed January 24 show in Belfast’s Ulster Hall with a six-round attraction being lined up. Surprisingly, Tommy’s veteran coach Patsy McAllister revealed that his charge has never before boxed at the Ulster Hall as an amateur.
“When he won his Senior titles they were all shifted away so he wants the opportunity,” said Patsy.
“There are a lot of people who support me in boxing in Belfast and I’m sure they’ll all come down and watch me again,” agreed McCarthy.
“If that show goes ahead then it will be brilliant. I haven’t really got hit that much in my four fights but I’m having brilliant sparring so most of the work is done in the gym. As I say, if you are working hard in the gym then you get an easy night and that’s showing in my fights.”
Manager Pat Magee was pleased with his man’s performance and is hoping that Sky TV and Matchroom were both impressed enough to ask Tommy back for another appearance on their shows.
“The Sky people have to be impressed with that. Once he got the guy going he hit him with some clean punches and the referee was on the job stopping him because at that size and weight guys can get hurt,” said Pat.
“As Tommy said himself, we are trying to get him a variety of opponents and you can see the difference because that guy tonight was a grade up from what he’s fought before. He caught Tommy with a cracking left hook early on which told Tommy to pay attention. Whenever he got to the corner Patsy said that there’s nothing easy in this game and told Tommy to go out and do his business and that’s what we did.”
Magee envisages big things for McCarthy and his other prospect, Phil Sutcliffe Jnr. The big-punching light-welterweight is edging closer to fight fitness and Pat expects Phil to be ready for late January.
“Obviously I’m going to put the two boys on the show. Phil’s hand is improving and I think he’s going to start using it next week and we will probably get him out on a six-rounder to get him back. 2015 is going to be a big year for the two of them,” Pat added.
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