‘I Have to State Facts’ – Quinn Reluctantly Questions O’Neill’s Credentials
Martin Quinn [3(1)-2(0)] says he will give Owen O’Neill [8-0] an introduction to big boy boxing in Belfast next Saturday night.
‘Mighty’ takes on ‘Triple O’ in an eagerly anticipated Dublin v Belfast clash on the undercard of Eric Donovan’s EU title fight at the Europa Hotel on September 24
The Crumlin man goes into the intriguing fight as the underdog but argues he’s the fighter with all the bite in the matchup.
Quinn, who is returning after over a year lay off and moving up in weight, warns people against looking into the fact he has three defeats to O’Neill’s none, pointing out he has had ‘real’ fights and has had more early day tests than an overly assessed child genius.
The Shane “Butch” O’Reilly and Pete Taylor trained fighter claims, the fact he has shared the ring with fellow Irish punchers in Karl Kelly and Francy Luzoho, as well as tough away corner men like Iago Baros and Ezequiel Gregores, means he has gone through a kind of separate the men from the boys process that his rival hasn’t.
The Dub claims ‘The Operator’, who he is fond of, has had it easy to date and will only learn what real professional boxing is about when they fight live on TG4.
“This fight is the same level fight as my pro debut. Nothing against Owen, I love Owen, we get along great, the same with Dee [Walsh]. but if you want to look at his record, the lad I fought in my pro debut he fought in his fourth fight at his weight and it went for rounds with him.
“I knocked him down in the first round, he got saved by the bell and then the threw the towel in at the start of the second. I came into that fight at 60kgs and I was able to knock him out at that weight and he couldn’t knock him out at the higher weight.
“No disrespect to him but his third last fight you’re man had 77 losses. My last three fights would walk all over all of his eight fights. Again I don’t want to disrespect him because I like him but I have to state facts. He hasn’t fought anybody like me. He will know what a fight is when I get in the ring and fight him.”
Expanding Quinn points to the tough fights he has had as further proof he is ready to register an upset win.
“I’ve been tested, he hasn’t,” he adds. “That is the real separating factor. I’ve been tested and I’ve come out on top. I’ve done six rounds with four very tough opponents. That Spanish fella I had in my second fight I think he was the hardest out of them all. Then you have Karl Kelly and Francy [Luzoho], even that Argentine fella I fought he hit like a freight train. If you ask me that fight should have been mine, the Karl Kelly fight should have been mine, so I should be 5-0. He hasn’t fought anyone like them or anyone like me.”
The Intermediate National Title winner also believes the Dee Walsh trained Belfast fighter is made for him.
“When I look at his fight he suits me to down to the ground. He just keeps walking forward, if he does that, that’s a fight I take. He tends to walk onto shots and he tends to leave his chin out as well. He’d want to watch that with me.”
