Boxing In Ireland: Casey Ready For Hyland European Title Clash

With October drawing to a close the morning’s are starting to take on a winter chill. Limerick’s Willie “Big Bang” Casey spends his morning’s dreaming but not from the comfort of his bed, instead he can be found pounding the roads as he dreams of lifting the European title on Saturday, November 6th.

That’s Casey’s date with destiny and his meeting with Irish rival Paul Hyland as for the first time ever two Irishmen slug it out with a European title at stake on the Hunky Dorys Fight Night: Big Bang Theory at the University Arena in Limerick.

Hyland stepped in for Casey’s original foe Kiko “La Sensacion” Martinez last weekend when the Spanish knockout artist was forced to withdraw from his scheduled title defence against Casey due to a rib injury.

However the man who famously ended the European title reign of Bernard Dunne graciously agreed to vacate the title to allow Casey and the number 1 challenger Paul Hyland to contest the vacant title on the condition that the new champion will make their first defence against Martinez.

While admitting that the weekend’s upheaval is not ideal Casey’s target remains the same and getting his hands on the European title belt is all the motivation he needs to ensure that those cold morning runs are enjoyed rather than endured.

“Some people like to listen to music on their runs but everything is so peaceful at that hour of the morning that I just enjoy the peace and quiet on the road,” said Casey. “When you’re out on those runs you have a bit of time to think and visualise the fight.

“Up until this week it was always Kiko’s face that was in front of me but that’s changed to Paul Hyland’s now but the result is always the same and at the end of it I’m holding the belt and by the time I come back from my run I’ve a smile on my face.”

As a fanatical Munster rugby supporter Casey knows just how much it means on Shannonside to celebrate a European title. “I suppose if you look at it this fight is the boxing equivalent of Munster playing Leinster in a European Cup final in Thomond Park,” said Casey.

“I’m a huge Munster fan and I remember how proud I felt seeing the European Cup paraded in Limerick a few years ago. Hopefully the people of Limerick will be just as proud to see one of their own becoming a European Champion in boxing.“

Casey is a proud Limerick man and Munster supporter but he’s even prouder to be from Southill, one of Limerick’s most impoverished areas and an area that has had it’s share of negative coverage over the years.

“I suppose bad news sells better than good news,” shrugs Casey. “Sometimes it seems like Limerick and Southill is always in the headlines for the wrong reasons but hopefully I can be a good news story by winning a European title for everyone in Limerick.

“For this fight I’ve setup training camp in Wicklow and it’s a beautiful part of the world with the mountains on your doorstep but at the end of the day it still isn’t home for me and I wouldn’t swap it for Southill. I love my life there, I have great neighbours and there’s an awful lot of hard working people there just looking to get on with their lives like everyone else.

“There are great people in the community and organisations like Outreach and a lot of the other clubs in Southill really make a big difference in helping the kids either through sport or education and trying to give them a chance in life.

“When I look back at some of the people I grew up with some of them went the wrong way and some went the right way and the difference can be a thin line. The way I’ve always looked at is is that everyone has a talent for something whether it’s boxing or writing or carpentry and if that talent can be encouraged then people have a real chance to make something of their lives and not fall into drugs or gangs because they don’t feel there is anything else out there for them.

“I was lucky in that from the time I started boxing as a kid I’ve had good coaches around me to encourage me and I see young kids in the boxing gym’s in Limerick today and they are no different to me. All they need is that encouragement and the self belief to realise that they can be as good as anyone else at what they do as long as they are willing to be dedicated and put in the hard work.

“I would love to think that there are young kids in Limerick who see what I have done and have been inspired by that to take up boxing or any other sport. That in itself would be worth more to me than any title.

“I look at my brother Mylie and what he’s achieved. He’s winning Irish titles for fun at the moment and just last week he reached the Irish Under 21 final and he is still only 17. He lives and breathes boxing and I think he has it in him to go a long way in the sport.”

Casey’s whirlwind pro career has seen him go from making his professional debut to challenging for a European title in just over 2 years, an achievement made all the more impressive when you consider that by his own admission he didn’t set the world alight as an amateur.

“I watched Bernard Dunne’s European title fights a few years back like everyone else and if I’m honest back then I never even dreamed of turning professional. I always thought my style would be better suited to the professionals than the amateurs but I think I lacked the confidence to take that step but when I saw Andy Lee doing so well in the professionals that inspired me to have a crack at it.

“It’s all happened very quickly for me really. This time last year I was only just getting ready for my third professional fight so it’s been a crazy year and I want to cap it all by wining the European title. Going out to Canada and knocking out the Canadian Champ was an amazing experience, winning the Prizefighter in London was something special but to leave the University Arena with that European title belt and bring in back home to Southill would be the icing on the cake.”

Casey’s ring moniker of “Big Bang” is no idle threat either. The diminutive southpaw clearly packs a punch with six of his ten victories to date coming via KO and the Limerick man credits coach Phil Sutcliife with unlocking his natural power.

“I’ve always been a good hitter, even through the amateurs. The funny thing about power is that you have to let it flow naturally because if you force it and look for the knockout it will never come and you just leave yourself open to getting counter punched. When I turned pro Phil settled me down and got me concentrating on my boxing so then I stopped looking to throw the power shots all the time and the the “Big Bang’s” started to flow naturally.

“I’ll be looking to do the same against Paul. He’s predicting a points win over 12 rounds but that’s a very long time to be left alone in a boxing ring with me!”

Casey will turn 29 at the end of the year and although he has no set retirement date he says he doesn’t plan on outstaying his welcome in the professional ranks. “From day one I promised myself that I wasn’t going to turn professional just to make up the numbers,” said Casey.

“I didn’t turn pro until I was 26 which is quite late so I don’t want to be hanging around. I want to test myself against the best out there and if my best is good enough then well and good, it’s it’s not then at least I will have given it a crack and I will be able to look back at my career with no regrets.

“I’d like to think that when I finish up I’ll have a few titles and belts on the mantlepiece at home to show that I did achieve something in the pro ranks. I already have the Prizefighter cup so the European title is next on the list.

“When I do hang up the gloves I’d like to give something back by training the kids and passing on what I’ve learned because boxing is a terrific sport for giving kids discipline and a goal to aim for. Boxing has given me an awful lot over the years and I plan on giving that back when I retire but I have a bit of business to take care of first with European titles and who knows maybe even a World title. Even the mighty Munster boys haven’t managed that yet!”

The European title clash between Casey and Hyland headlines a huge night of championship boxing in Limerick which also features the return of Martin “Iron Man” Rogan. The inaugural Prizefighter Champion and former Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion will step back into the ring a year to the day from his last fight in Belfast having made a successful recovery from a career threatening neck injury.

Cork based Cuban hotshot Luis Garcia faces a massive step up in class in just his eleventh pro fight when the World Junior amateur champion takes on former 2 time World Champion Byron Mitchell – the hard hitting American is best known on this side of the Atlantic for being the first man to put Joe Calzaghe on the canvas.

Garcia’s compatriot Alexei Collado also features with the Cork based Cuban looking to extend his phenomenal 100% record which has seen him win all 13 of his pro fights to date by stoppage.

An Irish title will be up for grabs in Limerick when Anthony Fitzgerald and Lee Murtagh finally look to get it on with Fitzgerald’s Irish title at stake. The duo were scheduled to clash on 2 previous occasions but both encounters were scrapped after Murtagh was forced to withdraw through injury but he will be hoping it’s third time lucky on this occasion.

Also featuring on the card is unbeaten Limerick based Galwegian Alan Donnellan and exciting Dublin prospects Brendan Fitzpatrick and Gavin Prunty while Galway’s Jon Fogg makes his pro debut against unbeaten Spanish cruiserweight and Kiko Martinez’s training partner Ricky Pow.

Tickets for the Hunky Dorys Fight Night: Big Bang Theory priced from €40 are available from Ticketmaster.ie / 0818 719300 and all usual outlets.