Lessons Learnt for Kevin Cronin following Spanish Stumble

Kevin Cronin [4(2)-0] has prepared with a career-best performance in mind ahead of his four-rounder in England this weekend.

The Kerry favourite learnt you can’t overlook any opponent when he didn’t quite get the Spanish holiday he was expecting last time out.

The ‘Kingdon Warrior’ thought he could walk through Daniel Borisov on Celtic Clash 11 only to be met by some Bulgarian resistance.

The Munster man wasn’t happy with his performance and, as a result, he has put in serious work ahead of his fifth pro fight this coming Sunday in a bid to impress and be destructive.

“I’m going into this fight with one thing on my mind and that’s put on a career-best performance and to be as destructive as possible,” Cronin told Irish-boxing.com

“I went over to Spain thinking I could just hop in with no proper training against a journeyman on short notice and I made a tough fight against a guy I’d blow away in a round or two.”

“You have to put the work in and we’ve put a lot of graft in since then. My fitness is f**king brilliant right now. I’ve been prepping for an eight-rounder with absolute top class sparring. I can feel and see in myself that the conditioning is working but it’s all about bringing it into play on the night.”

Cronin is eight-round fit and ready but the current climate means he could only secure four-round opposition for the Colne-hosted fight.

However, the 25-year-old is more than understanding of the situation and is just delighted to be out against Ryan Hibert in his third fight this year.

“I’m just buzzing to get back out before the end of 2021.

“I was meant to be out over eight rounds, then it was a six-rounder but the opponents just kept falling through. I fight over four now but it’s a fight all the same and I’m buzzing that I will have had three fights in a Covid year. I can’t say this year went to plan, we’re in strange times and nothing’s guaranteed, so I’m just happy I was kept busy in 2021.”

The Boxing Ireland fighter has noticed opponent Hibbert has been more competitive in recent fights, which seems to be another plus from the opponent pandemic, with so much work available away corner fighters can afford to be more adventurous.

“I fight journeyman Ryan Hibbert and watching his fights it looks like he has definitely given guys more trouble in his last two or three fights. So maybe he is one of them guys learning on the job and is a very hard guy to get the stoppage against.”