LIKE A MOVIE – Dee Walsh ready to direct the Belfast Rocky
As well as hours upon hours of Edgar Berlanga footage, the extremely diligent Dee Walsh has watched the entire Rocky offering in the build-up to Padraig McCrory’s big fight this weekend.
It’s not that the coach of the Belfast side of the Matchroom-promoted DAZN headliner was searching for tips from the likes of Mickey or Apollo Creed – or trying to borrow a motivational quote from Mr Balboa – more so it’s the fact that boxing even dominates Waldo’s ‘down time’.
However, mid-binging the series, he was reminded of the fighter he coaches. Like Rocky, McCrory hasn’t had it easy, wasn’t always fancied for the top, and has had to do it the hard way. Now, like Rocky, Walsh is hopeful the 35-year-old takes his chance to change his life when steps through the ropes at the at the Caribe Royale in Orlando on Saturday night.
“Pody reminds me of Rocky,” he said. “There have been times when nobody took Pody seriously, to get to this level, anyway.
“Similar to how people doubted if Rocky would reach the level he did. He reminds me of Rocky and, hopefully, he is as successful as Rocky as well.”
Rocky isn’t the only big screen fighter that puts Walsh in mind of the Conlan Boxing super middle.
“I also watched The Cinderella Man recently, the true story about James J. Braddock. Pody has been called that in recent times because of the journey he has been on in boxing.”
The three-time Irish-Boxing.com Awards Coach of the Year believes his fellow St James man is proving a Rocky and Cinderella Man-style inspiration to the people of their area.
“There are so many people from St James who have so much talent in other ways. There are up-and-coming kids from this club who are from St James, and my nephew is a young footballer who recently signed for Sunderland.
“It is amazing. It gives kids an incentive to reach the levels that Pody has done because he is from the same area as them.”
