Jordan Gill says Belfast wants to see Conlan KO’D
Jordan Gill says half of Belfast wants him to knock out Michael Conlan on Saturday night.
The former European champion, who fights the Irish boxing star at the SSE Arena, says he received plenty of messages of support from people from Conlan’s hometown.
Indeed, “The Thrill’ claims fight fans have got in touch encouraging him to knock out Ireland’s only World Championship gold medal winner.
“The people of Belfast are amazing. They are so lovely,” the English fighter said.
“The amount of messages I’ve had from the people of Belfast saying ‘we can’t wait for you to come over here and knockout Mick because no one likes him’. There have been a lot of those messages. They said: ‘there might not be a lot of people cheering for you in the Arena but half of Northern Ireland will be cheering for you’.”
It’s a brave play by Gill and one that will no doubt make a loud and hostile Conlan following even more raucous come fight night. It’s also play that has a history of backfiring in Belfast, as Chris Avolas will attest to.
“Every time I fight in Belfast, no matter if it’s the park or the arena it’s just loud. Jordan is going into an atmosphere the likes of which he’s never experienced,” warns Conlan.
The ‘Belfast wants a Gill win’ play as well as Conlan’s upset with how the English fighter celebrated his Leigh Wood defeat has helped turn the weekend’s Conlan Boxing and Matchroom headliner into a bit of a grudge match.
Although, Gill claims he takes a tactical rather than emotional approach to fight night.
” I don’t feel positively or negatively about Micheal. I know he doesn’t like me and has had choice words to say about me but I couldn’t care less about him or what he says. I’ve a job to do, I’ve tactics to stick to, I know how to beat him and I’ve just got to perform.”
