Declan Geraghty avoiding Jono Carroll ‘shite talk’ ahead of anticipated rematch

Declan Geraghty [17(4)-2(1)] seems to have learnt from his first encouther with Jono Carroll and is slipping his opponent’s verbal shots like he intends to slip punches come June 30th.

Carroll [15(2)-0] produced a mind games masterclass before the pair’s first encounter back in 2014 and used the media to draw Geraghty into a scrap which eventually lead to a ‘Pretty Boy’ disqualification.

All through the build up, ‘King Kong’, who was an unknown prior to the fight being announced, questioned his opponent’s heart and chin. He predicted the fight would be more a game of chasing than a fight.

The tactic worked and meant Geraghty negated his noted skill set in a bid to prove he was as macho as his vocal foe.

Now, ahead of the June 30th rematch of the 2014 Irish Fight of the Year, the southpaw is mindful of avoiding what he calls ‘shite talk’.

It’s a more mature approach from the EU silver medalist and there are some who believe the result will be determined by how much Geraghty’s temperament has matured compared to how much the now-higher ranked Carroll has improved as a fighter.

“I don’t need to talk shite about the fella. He has been talking a bit of smack here and there, but listen he is a bigger arsehole for doing it because the fight is happening,” Geraghty explained.

“He called me a coward on social media and I said ‘I didn’t think you would go that low’. I think it’s a terrible thing to call anyone a coward, but especially a boxer who gets in that ring. At the end of the day one punch can kill you and to say that shows the kind of man he is.”

“He is trying to play mind games but I am that old now and that mature that I don’t give a fuck what he has to say. Like I said, the fight is made and that is all that matters and I am really, really excited about it. I can’t wait for it.”

The more mature approach didn’t stop Geraghty predicting a one-sided win. The fighter who is trained by his father Declan Geraghty Snr believes he will win with relative ease.

“It’s going to be a boxing lesson. It’s going to be that much of a landslide there is will be no need for a third one.”

It is hard to read too much into the pair’s first encounter ahead of the clash at the SSE Odyssey Arena on the Mick Conlan homecoming undercard. Carroll has gone on to forge a reputation as a genuine talent, while both claim they are now living right and as a result claim they are different propositions.

However, Johnny Quigley provides fans to compare the both on recent displays.

Both outpointed the Liverpool stylist and, despite the fact Carroll dropped him twice, Geraghty claims his Quigley win was more impressive.

“I tell you one thing, everyone told ,e going into the fight it was a 50/50 fight. To be honest with you, I schooled him. I personally think I won eight of the rounds and I don’t think I had to move up the gears.”

“I think he is under rated. He gave Jono a really hard fight. Jono said at the press conference ‘a good boxer always beats a boxer’, but a good boxer always beats a fighter, just remember that. That’s what [he is] a decent fighter and I am a good boxer, so we will see June 30th.”