CONNOR Coyle is primed and prepped for his next big challenge. The US-based middleweight clashes with Kyle Lomotey tomorrow evening at Barnsley’s Oakwell Football Stadium as part of the Zak Chelli-Callum Simpson support act. The eight-rounder is a must-win for Coyle, 20-0 (9 KOs).
Trudging around domestic level is not something Coyle wants to spend a whole lot of time doing, especially with Erislandy Lara on his mind. Connor reckons Lara’s Cuban background speaks for itself, as well as his world title pedigree. Sharing the ring with the slick southpaw operator and current WBA title holder is something the 34-year-old Irishman would relish.
“Lara will definitely be on my radar for my next fight, a potential fight after August 3rd. I think the middleweight division is wide open at the moment for anybody else. I feel that I’m more than capable of beating any of them in middleweight, and I don’t have any doubt in my mind that I can fight anybody in the world,” told Boxing News.
While Lara’s career is still at the pinnacle, even at the ripe old age of 41, middleweight rival Janibek Alimkhanuly is busy picking up the pieces of his own career following a huge weight blip that saw the unified champ withdraw from a bout during fight week.
Janibek Alimkhanuly vs Vincenzo Gualtieri_action5 copy
That incident exemplified the issues some fighters have stripping down in weight. While Coyle does not personally harbour such concerns, he wishes the Kazakh champion well.
“I have never seen him in person, so I don’t know how big he actually is. He looks big on the TV and photos and stuff, but to be struggling that close to the fight, to be not making weight, I don’t know how that’s possible. You have a full training camp, you should be knowing before a week out, the weight that you’re going to be able to get down to.
“He must be big at the weight and he must have been really struggling to get off them last few pounds, and dehydration hit him. So, I hope everything’s well. I haven’t heard anything else from him. If he’s struggling that bad to make the weight, he definitely should move up,” sympathised Coyle.
Making weight is part of the sacrifices boxers accept to forge their careers, make money, and provide stellar entertainment to the paying public. Coyle has strategies in place to bring his weight down safely and mostly arrives around a pound under.
Two other 160-pound hopefuls are set to compete on September 21, as UK rivals Hamzah Sheeraz and Tyler Denny will contest Denny’s European title in Wembley.
“Both fighters are good and both seem really genuine guys as well,” opined Coyle.
“Sheeraz beat Ammo [Austin Williams]. I was supposed to fight Ammo in February and I had to pull out with an elbow injury. I was still looking to fight, but the team thought it was too risky to go on with one arm.
“Sheeraz did a good job on Ammo in that fight and I just think he might be too much for Tyler as well. I think Tyler’s a great boxer, but I think Sheeraz will be a little bit too big and his jab’s just on the money. So I think I would go with Sheeraz in that fight.”
Boxing the winner of that clash or the Liam Smith vs. Josh Kelly fight on the same bill would be just the tonic for Connor Coyle. Big names equal big fights, and the Stateside boxer knows a huge chance is just over the horizon should he dispense with Kyle Lomotey at Oakwell.
“I’d be ready for any of those fights. I want any of them. I want to fight the best of the best. I’ve been trying to get a good fight, a higher up opponent. I’ve had the opportunities and they fell behind. I lost the opportunities then.”
While not quite drinking at the proverbial last chance saloon, Coyle cannot afford to let those opportunities pass him by again.