McDonagh eyes Irish middleweight title – but rules out Last Man Standing

JJ McDonagh [14(7)-3(1)] want’s Luke Keeler’s Irish middleweight title.

The Westmeath southpaw has competed as high as light heavyweight in a stop start career, but is dropping to middleweight in pursuit of a title currently held by Ballyfermot’s Keeler.

A proposed move to 160lbs would indicate ‘Slick’ is eyeing the €25,000 Last Man Standing top prize fund, but he claims he isn’t entering a tournament his management Assassin are involved in as he wants straps not cash at this stage of his career.

Having held the super middleweight crown, McDonagh wants to do the same at middle and doesn’t care who he has to beat to win it.

‘I will now be operating at middleweight. I will not be entering into Last Man Standing, as I have been there and done it, and I know how the format works,” McDonagh told Irish-Boxing.com.

“I’m not in boxing just to pick up a pay cheque, I just want to prove I am the best. I want to win the Irish middleweight title. If it’s Luke Keeler, then let’s get it on. Or if he vacates, I will fight anyone else in my way. Chris Blaney, Conrad Cummings, or whoever,”

McDonagh, who lost in the final of Prizefighter the Irish middleweights back in 2012 hasn’t fought in 2017, but the Assassin puncher plans to get busy in the New Year.

“The plan is to win that Irish title, and then get a couple of fights to push myself up the rankings with the governing bodies. The plan is to fight at least four times next year, and hopefully pick up two titles.”

Of course, the winner of Ireland’s Last Man Standing becomes the mandatory for current champ Keeler, so McDonagh would have to get in line – unless the champion should vacate.