Hunger Games – Jamie Conlan Happy to Hear Padraig McCory’s Belly Rumble
Hunger is a key ingredient to top-end boxing, so Jamie Conlan is delighted to hear Padraig McCrory’s stomach rumble.
The Belfast man fights for the first time since his first career defeat, suffered at the gloves of Edgar Berlanga in February when he boxes Leonard Carrillo on the top of a Conlan Boxing card in the SSE Arena on Friday.
Between that Matchroom promoted reverse and confirming his come back there were suggestions ‘The Hammer’ would hang them up.
At 36 and having exceeded his own early career expectations, the fighter himself admitted there was a ‘decision to be made’.
Over the Summer, McCrory revealed he still had a lot to give and was keen to point out there was ‘low mileage’ on his boxing clock and that he remained close to big fights.
Conlan agrees with the IBO title winner’s points but believes the degree of desire left in the Dee Walsh-trained super middleweight is the most important factor in the next stage of the big punching Belfast man’s career.
Promoter Conlan revealed there were some honest talks between the pair and what he took most from it was the boxer and fight manager still has the eye of the tiger because he knows just how hard it can be without it.
“If the hunger’s not there you shouldn’t do it. That’s what I said to [Padraig McCrory]. I knew straight away that I was done after losing to Jerwin Ancajas I was finished. The hunger wasn’t there. There were offers on the table but I just couldn’t do it without that hunger,” Conlan told Irish-boxing.com.
“Poddy still has the drive to get up in the morning, to keep going, the drive to try and be world champion. He has the drive that helps put your body through what it needs to go through in a training camp.”
Conlan is aware many boxers have convinced their team they were capable of continuing when their heart wasn’t in it, something he believes is dangerous and something he is 100 percent sure McCrory wouldn’t do.
“If the hunger is not there you will cut the corners. You won’t be able to do it, you’ll be just be lying to yourself and Poddy’s a very honest guy. I know he wouldn’t be able to lie to himself in that regard.
“He had a good long break and a reflection process after Berlanga. He had time to see where he wanted to go with his career. I had that kind of honest conversation that you need to have after a long career. He dipped his toe back in and slowly but surely he came around. He realized the body is able to go and the head wants to go. It’s the right time to still keep going, so he’s good.”
McCrory may face a mini rebuild, starting with xx this weekend, but the route back to the top tier may not be too long or bumpy.
Conlan confirmed the 36-year-old was close to one of the biggest fights in boxing. If he’s have defeated Berlanga he’s have earned a shot at Sual Canelo Alvarez.
“On the week of the fight we came to an agreement that we’d be next in line for Canelo if we’d won.”
