MCCANN PREDICTS POWER SURGE | Frank Warren

DENNIS MCCANN PROMISES his forthcoming opponent, Joe Ham, is going to ‘feel the power’ when they go into battle with the Commonwealth super bantamweight title at stake on November 26 at the 02 Arena, live on BT Sport.

McCann (13-0, 7 KOs) is going for a hattrick of title belts at the glitzy London venue that also staged his second fight as professional back in July 2019, having in his last two fights also claimed the WBO Youth super bantamweight title and the WBC International Silver belt at featherweight.

The 21-year-old features on a card headlined by the WBO Interim world super middleweight showdown between Zach Parker and John Ryder, that also sees Hamzah Sheeraz and his iBox Gym teammates Sam Noakes and Pierce O’Leary in championship action.

Gorbals man Ham (17-3, 6), a former decorated amateur, is expected to increase the risk level for the richly talented Maidstone youngster, but McCann suspects he is a box of tricks Ham won’t have encountered before.

“He is an ex-Team GB fighter and has boxed all around the world, but he hasn’t met Dennis the Menace yet or fought anyone like me,” insisted the super-slick southpaw.

“When he feels the power he is not going to like it, trust me.”

The tests are, supposedly, getting tougher for the always-confident McCann, who emphatically defeated the more seasoned James Beech jr last time out in July.

Beech believed size and experience would count in his favour at the Copper Box Arena, but McCann set about the West Midlander right from the off and put him to the canvas before choosing to settle down and take a more calculated approach before ending the fight in the eighth.

He admits he was told there was no rush by his trainer and mentor Alan Smith, but had already figured out himself that Beech would enjoy a second wind after weathering the early storm.

“He did, but I am a clever kid and I can read fights so I realised he had recovered a little bit,” McCann explained. “I class myself as a world class fighter so I took my foot off the gas a little bit and broke him down knowing I would get him out of there later on.

“I reckon it was my best win, you’ve got to remember that kid is a natural featherweight, really, and has been up as far as super feather, so I thought I did well and got the job done, as I said I would.

“I told everyone I was going to stop him, I don’t tell lies and I got him out.”

Although McCann fought for a featherweight title, the limit was set in between super bantam and feather, but he confirms an increase in poundage from his former home at bantamweight was a welcome one.

“I felt strong, I felt very, very strong. I weighed in at 55.8kg, which is only half a kilo over the super bantamweight limit. Of course it was easier, us fighters love getting a little allowance! If I was fighting at middleweight I would make it hard for myself, that is fighters for you.

“I feel I am punching a lot harder, my manpower is starting to come now. I am wobbling people, hurting people and breaking people down. And I am finding it hard to get sparring partners because of it!”

Tickets for Zach Parker vs John Ryder for the WBO Interim Super-Middleweight Championship at The O2 are on sale now, available from axs.com.

Zach Parker vs John Ryder for the WBO Interim world super middleweight championship headlines a huge bill at the 02 Arena on November 26, live on BT Sport.

The bill also features WBC Silver middleweight champion Hamzah Sheeraz (16-0, 12) defending his title, while lightweight Sam Noakes (9-0, 9) takes on the unbeaten Scot Calvin McCord (11-0, 2) in a defence of his WBC International Silver championship.

Noake’s gym mate, Pierce O’Leary (10-0, 6), fights for the vacant WBC International super lightweight championship against the Namibian Emmanuelo Mungandjela (16-3-1, 7).

Thetford cruiserweight Tommy Fletcher (2-0, 2), Bexley welterweight Micky Burke jr (7-0, 3) and Upminster super lightweight Sonny Liston Ali (4-0) also appear on the card.