Kelly eyes Fagan in Irish title showdown
Irish duo Oisin Fagan and Michael Kelly are heading for a collision course in the New Year, with both entertaining the idea of a title showdown. Speaking at ringside after his first-round KO of Peter Feher in Dublin’s National Stadium, earlier this month, Kelly revealed the reasons behind his inactivity and vowed to make 2010 the year he steps-up to the mark.
"I've been out since March with a hand injury,” the Dundalk man explained, “which I got in the O2 [Dunne-Cordoba undercard in September] and it's took about four or five months to heal itself back to 100 percent. No problems tonight, it was dead-on and the sparring has posed no problems. I've been sparring Andrew Murray, Kevin O'Hara and Dee Taggart. There's plenty of great work in Breen's gym.
"Stop/start, fighting every four months or so is a waste of time - I need to be fighting regularly to progress. I'm going to keep the head down over Christmas and a date around January or February would suit. A slot on the next McCloskey undercard [rumoured to be around March in Belfast] would be nice."
Kelly has yet to fight in a professional eight-round contest which is a stipulation of the B.U.I. if he is to challenge for the Irish belt. Training under John Breen in Belfast, the former star amateur is keen on the Fagan scrap nonetheless.
“Oisin Fagan and I will happen next year and it’ll be a great fight, with not much dancing around the ring! That's the fight I want and hopefully with an Irish title on the line. We've both been trained by John Breen but that poses no issues for me. He was in Breen's just for the Amir Khan fight and I've been working with John for a good few months now."
Seated at ringside with no room on the card for an appearance, Oisin Fagan was buoyant about his future and made it known that nothing has changed with regards to his boxing philosophy. Fagan still wants anyone and everyone, provided there is enough notice to safely make weight:
"I can make super-featherweight but I need enough notice to get down to that weight,” he said. “I need total preparation and more than a couple of weeks' notice to boil down and fight someone like Kevin O'Hara. Everyone knows that if there's a big fight on the table to just give me a call and I'll take it on.
“I wanted to get on this show but there was no room for me. Michael Kelly or Andy Murray, for the Irish title, are the fights that I want. I would prefer lightweight but light-welter's fine too if necessary. I'm coming to the twilight of my career now so I want the big fights."
Now settled as a full-time pro, training at Phil Sutcliffe’s reputed Crumlin BC, Oisin expects to have a slot on the DolPhil promotions card scheduled for February. The Kelly fight certainly interests him, as does a rematch with Eddie Hyland; the fellow Dubliner outpointed Fagan for the IBF International crown in July.
"The Eddie Hyland rematch hasn't yet,” smiles Fagan. “I still want that fight so let the public know that even though it hasn't transpired we're talking and I still want it. Eddie knows where I am if he wants to fight me and I've put the word out many times, so I'm waiting for the phone call.
"For the right money I'll fight anybody in the world - even Floyd Mayweather!"
