Pierce Through The Noise – O’Leary Not Bothered by Dalton Smith and Adam Azim Exclusion
Pierce O’Leary is taking the boxing version of the ‘if you build it they will come’ approach.
The Dubliner is emerging as a welterweight name across Ireland and Britain and could make the high-profile stand-off between Adam Azim and Dalton Smith a Mexican one by throwing his hat in the ring.
One mention of either would certainly generate interest and maybe a move his promoter would want him to make.
However, it’s just not ‘Big Bang’s’ style.
O’Leary wants to fight rather than talk his way into big fights and points out that named opponents come more naturally when you are in the frame for titles.
“Once I’m climbing the ranks and keep building toward the mandatory spot that’s all that matters to me. When the opportunity comes for the titles I’ll be ready for it. If I’m in line to win titles or have titles then the named fights come naturally,” he tells Irish-boxing.com.
It’s not that the Queensberry knockout artist is wary of the either, in fact, he is keen on the European title Azim holds and his new coach Joe McNally would take that fight next.
He also believes his name should be mentioned alongside both in any next-big-thing conversations, it’s just that his approach doesn’t lend itself to him mentioning them.
“I want my name in the mix with them, of course, and I think it should be. You are in the game to be the best. If that opportunity came at the end of the year I’d love to fight for that EBU title. That’s where I want to be going and those are the titles I want. Joe said he’d take Azim next. Of course, I’d take it if they gave it to me.”
Speaking in more general terms O’Leary points out he doesn’t mind who he fights once his opponent allows him to progress. Although it seems some big irons may be the fire.
“We want to kick on, we always want to kick on. We don’t want to go sideways and definitely not back. I spoke to Francis about getting a highly-ranked fighter in the EBU and go from there.
“Joe mentioned big names to Francis, not to me, but Francis has them, and let’s see if he can deliver them. I don’t but supposedly they are names people would know, high up there.”
O’Leary was speaking a few days after his victory over the previously undefeated Hovhannes Martirosyan. The Sheriff Street native did manage to get another eye-catching stoppage win but only after he came through some tricky rounds.
He notes the Belgian helped him learn some lessons, the first of which is never to do a 16-week camp again.
“I think during the fight the camp affected me a little bit. It was a 16-week camp and that may have been a bit too long. I got a second wind in the seventh and from then on I felt brand new, It felt like I had started the fight again, I found my rhythm and I felt like myself,” adds the fighter who was in the gym longer than expected because he had his fight date pushed back.
“The third and the sixth round I didn’t feel like I was performing, even though after others told me I was performing, I didn’t feel like I was at my best. After the seventh, I started getting going again and that’s when the knockout happened.
“It’s good to know I can come through like that, but I really do believe it was more the camp than anything else. I never did a 16-week camp like that at that intensity. We did try to train smart but now sitting here after the fight physically I’m brand new I could go out and run a marathon but mentally I’m tired. It goes to show just how the mind can be affected through the whole process.”
