No Olympic regret for title-chasing Deco Geraghty

Many boxers who turned pro in the past four years may have looked at the Rio Olympics in August and thought: ‘what if?’

Not Declan Geraghty. 2 Senior titles, 12 Irish titles in total, and an EU silver medal, the Dubliner was a top amateur. Geraghty however feels that he has matured as a fighter and as a person since he turned pro in 2014.

Now 26, Geraghty explained to Irish-Boxing.com that “I believe I’m a lot better of a fighter now then l was when I boxed for Ireland.”

“I never took things too serious, I would be out partying right up to the week of the Irish championships, I wasn’t mature enough then.”

“I couldn’t make 56kg, I could only get down to 57kg so then I had to go to 60kg and I was just too small at the time.”

“But look, Mick went at 56 and was World class and DOJ went at 60 and he’s another world class boxer… I think Ireland had a World class team going out, just a few things went wrong, but every single boxer did themselves proud.”

Since turning pro Geraghty has compiled a 12(3)-1(0) record and has fight #14 on Saturday in Glasgow. The bout on an MGM Scotland show, which will be aired by Boxnation, will see ‘Pretty Boy’ make the step up to eight rounds for the first time, and thus become title eligible.

In terms of opponent, Geraghty could not confirm a name but described the troubles he and his team had securing a challenge.

“They got someone, it was hard this time round. I asked for a former European champion but I don’t really know what happened to that. l wanted someone with a better record but a lot of people turned down the fight. The lad I’m fighting has won his last four fights by KO so I’m looking forward to it. I believe this fight won’t go all the rounds, I think I’ll stop him around rounds 5 to 7 – but we will see.”

The Dubliner is belt-hungry and revealed how “we were trying to get this fight for a title but it didn’t happen for me – but I believe it will in the next fight.”

That fight could take place on the Belfast Boxnation show on November 5th at the Titanic Centre, but Geraghty isn’t keen to count his chickens. He stressed that “I’m not looking past this fight so I ain’t thinking about what show I’ll be on next, if l don’t win this weekend it could all be gone.”

“But yes, it’s a great bill and I would love to be on in Belfast, but that’s up to my team.”