Macklin excited by Gibbs bout

07 May 2008 – by Mark Doyle

Irish middleweight contender Matthew Macklin will take on Willie Gibbs at the National Stadium on July 12.

Macklin underlined his potential with a mightily impressive points win over Luis Ramon Yori Boy Campas in March and is now excitedly anticipating his chance to make America sit up and take notice when he collides with Bernard Hopkins cousin, Gibbs.

I actually fought on his undercard in Philadelphia a few years back and after my fight I managed to see a few rounds of his fight. Hes a big strong guy but I didnt see anything to frighten me, Macklin revealed.

Meanwhile, the Birmingham-based Irishman admitted that while his new trainer, Buddy McGirty, was thrilled with the defeat of Campas, Macklin himself was not 100 percent satisfied with what was a controlled, measured and widely-lauded performance.

I suppose Im my own worst critic but watching it back again afterwards I was probably too disciplined.

I had said I wanted to get back to using my jab and my boxing skills but looking back at it now I think I overdid it against Campas,” he confessed.

I probably overcompensated for that and there were times when I probably should have stood my ground a little more.

Thats something I can work when I go back to Flordia to work with Buddy McGirt again. I just need to strike a happy medium because while I want to get back to my boxing skills I dont want to lose the intensity because I believe thats one of the things that gives me an edge over the other guys out there.