Interviews
EXCLUSIVE: Kevin Cronin – The Benefits of a Pandemic
Dudelange in Luxembourg will be the venue for an Irish invasion of sorts on March 20th with the Irish boxers coaching as they look to start 2021 on a positive note.
For a town of just under 21,000 inhabitants, Dudelange boasts a wealthy sporting pedigree: 14 Olympians have been born in the region, including Fred Sturmer (middleweight at the 1952 Olympic Games) and Bruno Mattiussi (welterweight at the 1952 Olympic Games).
Kevin Cronin, 2-0, was candid enough to admit he had never heard of the miniature town, but to him it was a place with a boxing ring and that was all that mattered to him.
Speaking to proboxing-fans.com two weeks before fight night, he began by telling us how, on reflection, the pandemic had been a welcome intervention in his rapidly evolving career.
“To be candid, I needed that to be able to take a step back and just look at everything without having to be in the gym all the time, getting ready for the next fight.
– If you had asked me at the beginning [of the pandemic] If I wanted a gap year, I would obviously say no, but it made me hungrier and feel more ready, more determined than ever.
The strange reality for Cronin is that while he hasn’t been able to better his record over the last 18 months, it’s a period in which he’s learned more than ever.
The ‘Kingdom Warrior’, trained by Jonathan Lewin and Patrick O’Brien, revealed he was able to exploit the time to be more reflective in the gym.
“Even though we’re on a break, I’ve been training more, I’ve definitely been sparring more – I’ve had a couple of good 10-round sparrings – so it’s really the best preparation I’ve ever had.
“I know every fighter says that when they get close to a fight, but I was doing different things and pushing myself into uncomfortable places to see how physically fit I was.
“When I had two fights back to back, I felt like I was rushing in the gym and in sparring, so where I didn’t have a solid fight date, I was able to sit down and really look at areas where I could improve.
“[I’ve definitely] I improved my focus and timing in places where I could work a little slower, and I really needed that.”
Indeed, it’s difficult to believe Cronin made his debut almost two years after his soon-to-be third professional fight.
On March 30, 2019, Cronin appeared at the National Stadium in Dublin on a card headlined by Eric Donovan and broadcast nationally on TG4.
Cronin defeated Mateusz Lisiak in four rounds and began his dream life as a professional.
“I think you could say it was a perfect debut, the crowd, the cards, the atmosphere was completely unreal.
“But I’m very difficult on myself and I look at it from the perspective of ‘if only I were in this ring from now on’ and I pick out those little things I’d like to do better.
“It was a really good debut, and as an experience it was really amazing. I made the most of it and I think it showed in the fight.
Even the Kerry County man has to pinch himself that he made his debut “only two years ago” and the featherlight heavyweight felt like a real veteran at that stage.
“I’m confident. I’m recovering really quickly, so I feel like I have a lot more than just two professional fights ahead of me.
“I definitely don’t feel like I’m making my debut next season [from having so long out of the ring] because I see how much I have developed since my first fight.
“It feels like a lot more than two years have passed since my debut, even though I haven’t been particularly busy, because I’ve just learned a lot about myself. It feels more like I’m fighting my tenth fight, not my third!”
Looking ahead to March 20, the on-duty firefighter was bullish about a convincing performance against Vedran Soskan.
“To be candid, I would like to do some sightseeing and implement what I’ve been working on in the gym.
“After such a long layoff, it will feel a bit wasteful if I knock him down in 30 seconds, but at the same time I know I hit difficult and I have the power to get the stoppage. I’m not looking for the finish like I did in my first two fights or rushing my work, but in the back of my mind I think I can stop him.”
Written by Oliver McManus.
Eddie Hearn believes Tyson Fury will retire after a legacy-defining clash with Anthony Joshua.
Fury stunned the boxing world on Monday when he announced his retirement from the sport, leaving behind a megafight with Joshua.
The “Gypsy King” announced his shocking decision less than a month after suffering, among other things, second defeat in a row against Oleksandr Usyk in Riyad, but Joshua’s promoter, Hearn, is convinced that the fighter from Morecambe will return to the ring to fight the long-awaited showdown with “AJ”, who is returning after a fifth-round defeat to Daniel Dubois.
“In my opinion, I think he will come back,” the 45-year-old said talkSPORT.
“But I don’t know him well enough to judge that.
“He’s coming back after two defeats, and these defeats hurt the boys.
“AJ was devastated by the defeat to Dubois and I’m sure Fury was too [with his defeats to Usyk]both are winners.
“I don’t know if Fury can leave one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport on the table.
“I know he’s a competitor. I know he will want to give the British fight fans what they want and I hope we see more of him.
“But if we don’t, God bless the speed and all the best.”
Fury hung up his gloves after defeating Dillian Whyte in April 2022, only to return eight months later for a third fight with Derek Chisora, whom he defeated comfortably at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Hearn said Joshua will now look to secure a clash with the winner of the February 22 fight between his former rivals Dubois and Joseph Parker, who will fight in Riyad for the IBF heavyweight world title.
If Fury returns to fight AJ, the Matchroom boss insists the loser would have nowhere to go.
“They would both be devastated by defeat,” he added.
“It’s one thing to lose the world heavyweight title, but at the same time losing in a fight of this magnitude is the biggest bragging rights.
“At this stage of their career, the last word is goodbye.
“Whoever loses this fight is finished and whoever wins it moves on and that’s what you fight for.
“You’re not just fighting for a legacy, you’re fighting to save your career.
“It’s a huge fight, but it’s not on the table right now.”
Callum Simpson defended his British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles after a second-round victory over Steer Woodall on Saturday at the Park Community Arena in Sheffield.
Simpson (16-0, 11 KO) proved too good for Zak Chelli in his last competition and went on to sweep wide and claim the British and Commonwealth titles last August. Woodall (19-3-1, 12 KO) picked up his best career win, stopping Lerrone Richards in six rounds in an upset in Bolton last June.
This attack ended quickly in the second round, with a right uppercut that left Woodall on wobbly legs, and then another attack punctuated by another right uppercut, leaving “The Stallion” on the deck.
Despite beating the count, referee Mark Bates waved off the fight shortly afterwards.
Simpson dedicated his victory his dead sisterwho died tragically in August in a road accident.
“It’s bittersweet,” the 28-year-old said Heavenly sports after the fight.
“I won these titles in front of all my fans, but there’s one person that I think everyone knows who I wish was here, but I know she’s looking down on me and I make her proud.”
Dubois is tied with Camara
On the card below, Caroline Dubois (10-0-1, 5 KO) made her first defense of her WBC lightweight title against Canadian Jessica Camara (14-4-1, 3 KO), but the fight ended in a technical draw.
The fight was stopped due to a cut to Camara’s left eye from the head collision, and she also went down in the first round.
Forrest stops Miller
Cruiserweight prospect Scott Forrest needed just two rounds to defeat Deevorn Miller.
Miller (8-3, 6 KO) lost once in the first and second rounds, while Forrest (7-0, 4 KO) won outright.
Undercard remaining
In the featherlight heavyweight division, where Billy Deniz defeated Mickey Ellison (15-8, 5 KO) by one point.
Deniz (13-0, 5 KO) won with a score of 77-76.
In the six-round middleweight division, Sam Hickey (2-0, 1 KO) stopped Lewis Howells (3-2) three times en route to a first-round victory, and Mauro Silva (7-0, 3 KO) scored a 59-56 victory against Emmanuel Zion (6-3, 3 KOs).
Ellis Price (2-0, 1 KO) stopped Liam Fitzmaurice (0-1) twice en route to a first-round lightweight victory.
Lauren Price believes Natasha Jonas was pressured into fighting her ahead of their March 7 unification clash.
Price will put his WBA and IBO welterweight titles on the line when he faces IBF and WBC champion Jonas live at the Royal Albert Hall. Heavenly sports.
Jonas’ coach, Joe Gallagher, has said he would prefer to see the 40-year-old retire, and Price, who won Olympic gold in 2021, is doubtful whether her rival wants to face her.
“I don’t think either of them wanted this fight,” the 30-year-old said proboxing-fans.com.
“But like I said, she has two belts, I have three and it’s just a great fight.
“The fight is signed, sealed and announced, so on March 7 we will see who will be the best.
“If you look at my amateur record, Olympic gold medalist, I haven’t lost a single round as a professional.
“The performance I am up against [Jessica] McCaskill in Cardiff against the legitimate world champion, the proof is in the pudding.
“I’ve got it. I’m in my youth.
“She’s coming to the end of my career and I don’t blame her, but in the end she has something that I want and that’s really it, there’s nothing personal.”
Jonas secured the WBC crown with a unanimous decision victory over then-champion Ivana Habazin in December in Liverpool, moments after Price defeated Bexcy Mateus in three rounds on the same bill.
The pair then clashed during a heated post-fight interview to confirm their upcoming match.
The Welshwoman believes that her youth, speed and dominance in the ring will allow her to defeat the experienced Liverpool resident on Friday in eight weeks.
Asked what her advantage was over Jonah, Price added: “Probably my youth.
“Reading the fight, my ring IQ, my speed.
“The little feints, the triggers I do, people reading me.
“Everyone says they will do it, they will do it until I stand in front of them, so we will see on March 7.
“But overall I think I’m just better and I believe I’ll win.”
Watch the full interview with Lauren Price:
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