KO King – Gareth Dowling Makes Bold Power Statement After Knockout Debut
Gareth Dowling doesn’t believe any Irish light welterweight could stand up to his power apart from a fighter he’d never share the ring with.
‘The Jacker’ registered a debut victory in the 3Arena last weekend, the Dubliner flattened Pole Daniel Nowak inside a round to make the kind of opening statement he promised.
Dowling didn’t shy away from the statements post the UFC Fight Pass win, declaring he is the biggest puncher in the division and claiming no one around his weight, his fellow Dublin Dockland’s graduate Pierce O’Leary aside, would stand up to his power.
Speaking to Irish-boxing.com post his debut win the Conlan Boxing prospect told Iish-boxing.com: “The only other super lightweight in Ireland that would stand with me is Peirce and he’s one of my best friends so we wouldn’t be fighting.”
It’s a bold statement from a fighter who looked as relaxed as any making his pro bow, particularly considering the Irish talent in and around light welter but the Dub comes to the pro game with a lot of self-belief.
It also looks like the 23-year-old will prove entertaining after he turned his debut into a mini slugfest.
Dowling went in with a stay calm and composed get a routine win game plan but disregarded the orders once he tasted leather. After taking a shot he made it a shootout, it meant he got hit a little more than his team would have liked but also led to the very quick demise of his opponent.
“I’m not a step back kind of person,” he begins explaining.
“Straight back in. ‘What’s up,’ you know what I mean? That’s just the way we go.
“I was meant to just stay composed but maybe we traded one or two shots and things changed. You learn on the job, we’re learning every day,” he adds before reverting to the bottom line.
“I got the job done in good fashion and that was the main thing.”
Dowling had O’Leary, a figher with 3Arena bill-topping aspirations, as a vocal ringside supporter. ‘Big Bang’ was trying to preach patience but Dowling was never going listen wrapped up in debut excitement.
“I heard him,” he adds. “He was like ‘relax use your jab’. I tried to listen to him but just for about 3 seconds!”
