Domestic duel not dead just yet
By Jonny Stapleton
A mouth watering fight menu with Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan and Anthony Fitzgerald as the main course is still a possibility according to Fitzgerald’s manager Phil Sutcliffe.
The Crumlin boss said the current pay dispute between the teams can be settled by hosting the Irish title fight in Ireland instead of England.
Indeed Sutcliffe has offered to co promote the Dublin Cork clash with Irish middleweight champion ’Spike’s’ manager Pascal Collins.
The respected amateur trainer claims ’The Pride’ is correct in looking for a fair days pay for a fair days work and believes his fighter deserves more cash if he was to travel.
He also stressed the EBA middleweight champ is very eager to win the battle of the capitals for Dublin and wants to get the fight made.
“It was too little to fight for going away,” Sutcliffe said of the money talk.
“We have no problem fighting Spike, but why not have it in Ireland. it’s a fight for Irish fans. It gives us a chance to get an Irish under card and give the Irish kids a wage. If Pascal wants to co promote the show I am willing to work with him and we can have it on over here. If the circumstances were right I would jump on it.”
Father to former Irish welterweight amateur champion Phil Sutcliffe junior, Sutcliffe may want the fight, but he isn’t too confident it will be made.
As a result Team ‘Fitzy’ have kept their options open and are eyeing a few other potential match ups.
Sutcliffe is in Liverpool along with the Irish super middleweight belt owner as special guests of Tony Bellew, as he bids to dethrone World champion Nathan Cleverly tonight, and wants his charge to eventually fight on a similar international stage.
“Anthony was sparring Bellew last weeks and they were that impressed with him the are getting him a fight on a show in Liverpool in six weeks. Things are a bit slow at home at present so we have to look abroad. Anthony would fight any middleweight out there. He would take on Andy Lee or Matthew Macklin anytime. He would go anywhere if the price was right. We don’t want him fighting journey men we want him to have fights that get him the recognition he deserves and move him to world level.”