'My record is one big lie,' says title fight underdog Mickey Coveney
Irish bookmakers Boylesports had Mickey Coveney (11-13) a big underdog in his fight against Finbarr Eade (6-0) for the Irish super-featherweight title in Castlebar, Ireland on Friday 12th August, pricing the East Ham southpaw a very generous 4/1. Since then this price has dropped to 9/4 and even then it represents a value bet.
Coveney has more losses than wins on his record, but all of the losses have been against top domestic opposition and quite a few of those losses have been closely fought battles.
The starting point for this interview was Coveney’s reaction to the prices being offered by Boylesports.
“Everyone around my way, all my mates, everyone started putting bets on as soon as they seen that because they all know that I can fight.”
Coveney’s record of 11-13 is deceptive, particularly to those that have witnessed some of the closely fought losses on the East Ham fighter's slate. A seasoned campaigner, Coveney has lost fights to top quality domestic opposition such as Choi, Rocky Dean, Paul Appleby, Patrick Hyland, Dazzo Williams, Stevie Bell and Derry Matthews. And whilst Coveney admits he has had his share of clear cut losses, he makes a strong case that there has not been a lot of difference in class with many of the defeats, and claims that he should have been awarded wins in several of them.
“My record is one big lie,” Coveney laments. “Any fight that I have had that has been close, I have not got. A lot of these boys that I have fought have not been in front of me, they haven’t been better than me – they have been closely fought fights and they have nicked it.
"Some of them I have lost obviously, like Choi (KO 3) and Appleby (TKO 4). Stephen Ormond (TKO 7) was really good fighter, very strong and hits hard with his left hook. But all of the other fights like Akaash Bhatia, Kevin O’Hara, Stevie Bell – I thought I won all three of them fights.”
A couple of them like against Dazzo Williams when I was 18 – I should never have been in the ring with him. And a couple of them losses when I was younger I didn’t live the sport, fair enough. There has been a couple of the fights were I have no always done myself justice, like against Jamie Arthur – I thought I was much better than what I showed that night.
“I am not a bad little fighter and for people to look at my record and think they can dismiss me. I like that when they think they can have an easy night with me because when we are in a hard fight and I am coming on strong they are thinking – 'oh what’s happening here – he isn’t supposed to be doing this'.”
Coveney also rued his loss to Patrick Hyland in his last appearance in Ireland, for the Irish featherweight title: “When I boxed Patrick Hyland, he was lucky to hit me with that punch. The weight done me there, I hadn’t done featherweight in four or five years and I really struggled to make the weight and I was fucked.
“When I had to fight in Ireland, we had a flight at something like 5am and I had to meet my trainer in the Peacock gym before the flight. So at 1.30am I pulled up outside the Peacock Gym and checked my weight – I am 9 stone 1 ½. It took me an hour and half to get 1 ½ off and then we got to the airport and Martin had to literally carry me through the airport, I was absolutely fucked. When I got there and weighed in I was shot to pieces. I know now that I could do the weight a lot better.
“I am not knocking Patrick Hyland but when I boxed him that boy didn’t lay a glove on me from rounds two to six – I boxed his ears off. And the little bit of weight came into it at round seven and I switched off and he caught me with a really good punch and it took everything out of me. I like Patrick he is a nice boy but he isn’t a better fighter than me, he has had 23 bums put in front of him – he hasn’t never fought no one.
“And I know his old man has been training Eadie and he thinks he knows how to beat me. I tell you when I walk out there on Friday night and start putting my punches together they wont know what to do.”
Although Coveney bemoans some of the losses on his record, he also points to the learning curve that he benefitted from as a result of consistently taking hard fights.
“It has held me in good stead. When I fight a good fighter I know that I have been there and done it before. I would rather have had my career the way it is than have had 23 or 24 fights and never had a fight. Don’t get me wrong I am not knocking any of these fighters that I have fought that have good records – good luck to them. I aint got the luxury of picking and choosing my fights. I get a phone call and I am there.”
Coveney has a busy schedule juggling boxing training with several jobs including part-time personal trainer, painting and decorating with his cousin and working with his father on the television industry. Coveney also dotes on his young family, especially his three year old daughter, Olivia.
“I get up, I do my running in the morning, I go to work, come home and train hard at night. I do it for my little family. I do it for my girlfriend and my daughter. My little girl is three years of age and I love her with all of my heart and want to give her everything that I can. I do it for her really. My little girl says my daddy does ‘bang bang’ he does ‘fighting’ and I love it, that makes me proud – not every little girl can say that their dad does that. And plus I want to be a champion. I really want it. I am hungry, I don’t just do it for the money – I want to fight.”
Coveney has moved up to super-featherweight in his last couple of fights and is fighting unbeaten Westport man Finbarr Eade for the Irish title.
“I feel stronger at super-featherweight, but don’t get me wrong if they come along and give me a chance to do a Prizefighter featherweight I would do it. Even though I am only 5ft 4”, when people look at me they think I look small – but I have got wide shoulders and a broad back and I am strong, I am really strong little fighter.
"I have never really showed it before because I have never been really fit. But now I am fit and living the sport, I am living the right way. I am really whacking as well, I am putting my punches together as well. I am sparring lightweights and hurting them. For the last two years now I have really put my head down and trained hard every day."
At the Peacock gym Coveney has benefitted from quality sparring over the recent couple of years against the likes of Ian Napa and Carl Frampton. For this weekend’s fight with Finbarr Eade, Coveney has sparred a couple of Tony Sims lightweights including Ryan Taylor and a couple of Frank Greaves young fighters have provided the sparring.
“They are not big names, but they are young, hungry fighters that want to do well. I have been getting good rounds with good, young, hungry fighters. I always fight bigger boys like lightweights and light welterweights and I am holding my own.
“I can’t wait to get in there on Friday night and start chucking some bombs. I am confident that I am going to go out and look really good.”
Coveney qualifies for the Irish title as his father was born in Cork, Ireland, but moved to England shortly after he was born.
“I am proud of my Irish blood. I used to go to my nan’s house when I was a kid and I didn’t understand a word that she said with her thick Cork accent. I am proud of my Irish blood it means a lot to me, it means as much as if I was fighting for a British or an English title. And I know my dad is really proud of his Irish roots and so am I. I love it over there and I made my debut against Stevie Quinn in Belfast."
Coveney is hoping that success on Friday night can lead to bigger rewards: “After I win this title I will come over to defend it and maybe Brian Peters might go and get me ten wins. Winning this title could open a lot of doors for – it is my first title as a pro and I want to bring that belt back. I am leaving it all in the ring on Friday night.”
*Doors open at the Royal Theatre on Friday at 6:30 with the first bout at 7:15.
The full line-up is:
Henry Coyle V Elio Cotena - WBF Light Middleweight Title (12 Rounds)
Patrick Hyland V Fabrizio Trotta - Featherweight (8 Rounds)
Finbarr Eade V Mickey Coveney - Irish Super Featherweight Title (10 Rounds)
John Waldron V Michael Sweeney - Light Heavyweight (8 Rounds)
Paul Hyland V Dai Davies - Super Bantamweight (6 Rounds)
Darren Cruise V Lee Murtagh - Super Middleweight (4 Rounds)
Friday's night's boxing is live on TG4 from 9:30 and will be streamed live worldwide on http://www.tg4.tv
