Sean McComb – “If I don’t peak now, I never will”

It’s now or never for Sean McComb.

The Belfast light welter believes he is entering the best years of his career, and is planning to fulfill his potential during this period.

This begins with the National Elite Senior Championships where he will be looking to claim his third title, before going on to the Europeans in Kharkiv and the Worlds in Hamburg.

McComb got his Seniors campaign off to a winning start on Friday night, taking out Tallaght’s Patrick Linehan in the semi finals in what was a competitive fight. Afterwards the Holy Trinity southpaw described how “It was a tough one to get the rust off. He was a good competitor with a good game plan, his coaches all knew me from fighting George [Bates, St Marys BC] four times. Fortunately I was able to outfox him and be just a step ahead with timing.”

“I felt very comfortable, he was just very awkward with the head. I didn’t want to do anything silly and get a wee nick on the eye, or a cut, or anything. It was a good one to get the cobwebs off.”

“That was, more or less, my first real competitive fight at 64kg, the rest weren’t competitive, they were just internationals that didn’t mean anything. This meant everything because there’s a Worlds coming up and I need to book my ticket.”

24 year old McComb is looking to make the most of his considerable talents, and has tailored his preparations accordingly. The Turf Lodge puncher outlined how “the whole year’s a big aim now. This is my career now, my peak, and if I don’t peak now I never will. I feel I’m entering my peak.”

“I’ve stopped messing about, I’ve stopped eating junk food during training, thanks to Eat Clean NI, who are helping me out with meal plans, I can feel the difference big time. I’ve been putting in a lot of effort, I’ve been working on my strength, my fitness”.

First however he must overcome the considerable challenge of Ballynacargy’s Wayne Kelly in Friday, and McComb admitted that “I’ll have a very tough fight.”

“Wayne Kelly trained alongside me for a full two years in the High Performance, we know each other inside out, but I’m focused. We’re both going to try outfox each other and I think Wayne is a smart awkward opponent so I have to be on my A game.”

“I know for a fact there’s another three or four gears in me. You’ll see a new and improved Sean McComb next week.”

Photo Credit: Laszlo Geczo Photography

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Eric Donovan joins Gavan Casey and Joe O’Neill on Episode 2 of the Irish Boxing Show: