Dylan Moran has ‘final say’ on Paddy Donovan call out Declan Geraghty fall out
Dylan Moran [17(6)-1(1)] says anyone that thinks he is avoiding Paddy Donovan [9(6)-0] is delusional.
The Waterford favourite says the ‘whose the real Real Deal’ battle will happen but on his terms, and thus not on April 8.
Donovan chatter increased tenfold over the weekend and the Munster beef beefed back up when it became clear Moran’s proposed clash with Declan Geraghty was off.
Once ‘Pretty Boy’ pulled out of the Ring Kings bill topping Irish title fight, the Limerick fighter’s manager and coach Andy Lee let it be known Donovan was willing to step in and fight.
Moran played down the prospect of an April meeting online, prompting a mini Twitter and Instagram storm.
The 28-year-old admits it all got a bit overwhelming and wanted to ‘have a final say’ when speaking to Irish-boxing.com on Monday.
Moran says a fight, he himself has called for previously, has to happen but it won’t be his first fight in Waterford.
“The Paddy Donovan fight is turning into something big, it’s got the whole country gossiping and it’s the fight on everybody’s lips,” Moran tells Irish-boxing.com.
“There’s nobody avoiding anybody if your sat at home thinking Dylan Moran is afraid to fight Donovan you need to get a good night’s sleep because your not thinking straight.
“This is a business and Paddy and his team know the script. I’m giving the boxing public my word when the time is right Paddy Donovan is getting it.”
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Explaining why he thinks the time isn’t right now, the ‘Real Deal’ said such is the magnitude and desire for the fight affording it just three weeks build-up would be a boxing sin.
“The fights going to happen but everything has to be correct first. It deserves a good build, a big platform and we both deserve to be paid well. I know and they know doing it on 3 weeks’ notice is a waste.”
The Dungarvan native believes that as a hometown bill topper, he doesn’t need a fight with the Top Rank starlet.
“You’ll see when I walk to the ring April 8th I don’t need the Paddy Donovan fight, he couldn’t sell out a phone box in Limerick,” he adds before assuring once again he remains one day keen.
“But the fights going to happen because I want it and the fans want it.”
Before the Donovan exchanges, Moran had verbals with Geraghty, going as far as to question the Dubliner’s courage after he pulled out of their Irish title fight due to cuts suffered in Scotland over the weekend. It was somewhat out of character for someone who is often labeled ‘one of the nicests guys in boxing.’
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He explains his reaction had it’s roots in his disappointment that such a big fight he had spent months readying himself for fight had fallen through.
“The last 12 weeks have been my hardest yet. I’ve been away from home alone in Germany every day, waking up and going to sleep thinking of the Deco fight. That’s 12 weeks playing out the fight in my head every day and then you get a call to be told it’s not happening and it’s like no way here we go again.
“People think you can just drop it and move on. it’s not that simple well it isn’t for me. I was told Deco is ’50/50 about the fight and see if you can give him a push,’ so that’s exactly what I did. Plus there was some frustration as the biggest fight of my life is gone down the drain. Forgive me if I said Declan bottled it, but if that’s the worst I’ve done I’m doing alright.”
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Moran was equally open about struggling with the instant noise, which came within minutes of his Geraghty spat kicking off.
“The last two days have been hard,” he adds. “I’m getting it from all angles, my heads all over the place I didn’t even process deco and you want me to accept the Paddy fight ?
“I don’t wake up looking to go arguing with people online. I’d like to think my life’s got more going on than that but if it comes my way I’ll deal with it. There’s no person better than the next in this world, we’re all made the same and I hope everyone gets what they can from it and run because we all know it isn’t easy. You know all I ever wanted from boxing was my night in Waterford and I think it’s fair to say I deserve it.”
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