CONNOR Coyle is primed and ready for his next big challenge. The US-based middleweight will face Kyle Lomotey tomorrow evening at the Oakwell Football Stadium in Barnsley as part of the Zak Chelli-Callum Simpson support act. Round eight should win Coyle, 20-0 (9 KOs).
Roaming at home level is not something Coyle wants to spend too much time doing, especially with Erislandy Lara on his mind. Connor thinks Lara's Cuban background speaks for itself, along with her 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, which could be after the 3rd of August. I think the middleweight division is pretty wide open right now for anybody else. “I feel that I have the ability to beat anyone in the middleweight division, and I have no doubt that I can fight anyone in the world,” he said. Debate News.
While Lara's career is still going strong, even at the ripe old age of 41, middleweight contender Janibek Alimkhanuly is busy picking up the pieces of his career following a weight-loss that saw the joint champion pull out of the fight during fight week.
Janibek Alimkhanuly vs Vincenzo Gualtieri_action5 copy
That incident is an example of the problems other fighters have had in cutting weight. While Coyle doesn't play down those concerns, he wishes the Kazakh champion well.
“I've never seen him in person, so I don't know how old he really is. He looks big on TV and in pictures and stuff, but for him to struggle to get close to fighting, not making weight, I don't know how that's possible. You have a full training camp, you should know before the week goes out, the weight you will be able to lose.
“He must have been overweight and he must have been struggling to lose the last few kilos, he was dehydrated. So, I hope everything is going well. I haven't heard anything else from him. “If he's struggling to make weight, he should go higher,” Coyle sympathized.
Making weight is part of the sacrifices boxers accept to build their careers, make money, and provide great entertainment to the paying public. Coyle has effective strategies to safely lose weight and come in almost a pound lower.
Two more 160-pound hopefuls will compete on September 21, as UK rivals Hamzah Sheeraz and Tyler Denny will battle for Denny's European title at Wembley.
“Both fighters are good and both seem like real people,” Coyle commented.
“Sheeraz defeated 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 group thought it was too dangerous to continue with one arm.
“Sheeraz did a good job on Ammo in that fight and I think he could be great against Tyler as well. I think Tyler is a good boxer, but I think Sheeraz will be too big and his jab is on the money. So I think I will go with Sheeraz in that fight.”
Boxing the winner of that fight or a Liam Smith vs Josh Kelly fight on the same bill would be interesting for Connor Coyle. Big names equal big fights, and the Stateside boxer knows a big opportunity is just around the corner when he splits with Kyle Lomotey at Oakwell.
“I will be ready for any of those fights. I want any of them. I want to fight with the best. I've been trying to find a good fight, a superior enemy. I got opportunities and they fell behind. I lost opportunities at that time.”
Although he doesn't really drink in the last-chance arena, Coyle can't let those opportunities pass him by again.
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