Boxing News Boxing News
After a brief period at home with his wife and children following his European title success, Willie ‘Big Bang’ Casey returns to camp this Monday in preparation for his World Title fight with Cuban sensation Guillermo ‘El Chacal’ Rigondeaux.
For Casey, a break never really occurred with the Limerick southpaw aware that a World Title fight was a likely possibility. He returns to Head Coach Phil Sutcliffe raring to go and both protégé and coach firmly believe an upset is on the cards.
“I have been studying Rigondeaux over the holidays” said Sutcliffe “and while he is an unbelievable talent I think Willie will beat him. Its going to be tough, we have no doubts there but our boy is tougher and he can bang as big as anyone out there”.
While Paddy Power has Rigondeaux favourite with Casey 3/1 on upsetting the champion, team Dolphil are quite content entering the fray as underdogs, a tag ‘Big Bang’ has thrived under thus far in his short career.
Not many gave Willie a chance against Hyland in the European Title fight, and he completely outclassed the Tallaght man, nobody certainly expected him to win Prizefighter, that is except his team who up to now have been accurate in their forecasts for the Limerick banger. Casey now stands 12 rounds away from becoming Limericks first World Champion and Irelands first champion since Bernard Dunne.
The Cuban however has other plans, and in a bid to undermine his opponent last week he has managed to rally massive support from the Irish public for Irelands Cinderella Man. With the first batch of early-bird tickets sold out in less then a week ticket sales re-open today for the March 19 clash and Dolphil Promotions are boldly promising the greatest night of boxing ever held in Ireland.
“We will be putting the best card ever seen in Ireland behind the Casey v Rigondeaux fight” claimed Daniel Halpin “Don (O’Leary) today confirmed that Ian Timms will fight Micheal Sweeney for the Irish Cruiserweight Title, and that is just one of multiple title fights we’re looking at, also with Ireland playing England in the rugby earlier that day makes it all the more special.”
The ‘Get The Country Behind Casey’ campaign began yesterday with fan clubs popping up around the country for our current sporting hero. “He’s an inspiration to us all” said a fan at the launch today “I’ll be there with my wife and kids, their huge Casey fans. The way he fights, the way he carries himself, he’s a great example to my boys so I don’t mind them watching him fight”.
Rigondeaux arrives in Ireland for a week long stay mid-January and Dolphil Promotions have set the 17th January for the press conference which will be held in Willie Casey’s own city, Limerick.
