Byrne: I’ll beat McDonagh and win the Irish title in October

DEAN Byrne claims he is penciled to fight Peter McDonagh for the Irish title in October.

‘Irish Lightening’takes on World number 10  David Avanesyan in Blackpool this month, but has his sights set on an Irish title tilt in Ireland in the Autumn.

Two time Irish champ Peter McDonagh and Byrne have shared some verbal blows on Twitter and according to Byrne they will trade blows for real in Dublin come October.

With MGM planning regular shows in Dublin and McDonagh’s link to the gym and promotional company the bout seems logical and easy to make and is certainly a title fight to excite Irish fight fans.

“There has been a bit of banter on twitter with me and Peter McDonnagh. He is two times Irish champion, he is British but has an Irish back ground. After my last fight I said to him straight away we should fight for the Irish title. I was buzzing with him a bit, but I was serious too. A few days latter I mentioned it again to Irish-boxing.com and then Peter said a few things. I think it is going to happen in October- I wish I could make my fights like that on Twitter all the time, I would be calling them all out,” Byrne told Boxing News Views.

“I had a tough fight a couple of weeks ago then I have this tough fight with the Russian then I fight McDonagh. I want to stay busy now I am 30 and I need to keep active.”

The former Wild Card fighter hasn’t fought on home soil since 2010 and is delighted with the opportunity to return to Dublin in a title fight.

“I haven’t fought at home in a long time and I need to get back and fight in front of my home fans. The fight being for the Irish title is an added bonus. It is a strap I would like to put on my resume. Peter is a tough fighter and he held the belt on two occasions, but he doesn’t bring anything I haven’t seen before.”

Regardless of his result this weekend or in October, Byrne wants to have a rare flurry of fights over the coming 12 months.

“I should have been active when I came back to England and I didn’t get the fights. I tell this to every fighter when you inactive you don’t learn. Stay active you can only get better and a busy fighter is a happy fighter. You get stronger and better the more fights you have.”