Shortty Carroll ready to dive straight back in at the deep end
Stephen Carroll [7(2)-0] is expecting to dive back in near enough to the deep end.
Having enjoyed a perfect end to 2016 and start to 2017 by winning the Celtic Nations welterweight title on the road against Jamsey Gorman and defending successfully on short notice against Scottish Champion Eddie Doyle in Scotland the Ballyfermot fighter looked set to kick on.
However, he hung up his gloves after registering a seventh pro win in May but returned under the MTK Global banner at the end of the year.
He returns on the SK Promotions ‘Collision Course’ and his desire for a test balanced against the need to shed ring rust leaves the light welterweight between a rock and a hard place in terms of picking opponents for his February 3rd Citywest comeback.
However, the 25-year-old has requested a hard fight and is assured he won’t return in a routine four round contest.
“I will fight who and go with whatever the team say. They will know what I’m capable of and able to do at this stage. I think I’ll be fighting a tough lad in a six-round fight, which is good. It’s back in the deep end,” Carroll explained to Irish-boxing.com.
When Carroll elected to go into retirement just after the Summer it came as a massive shock. The then Tony Davitt-trained fighter had just had something of a break out year and big domestic scraps looked on the horizon.
However, ‘Shortty’ simply hadn’t the financial resources to train full-time and after taking a job to maintain family life he was unable to prepare to the level he felt necessary to compete.
Teaming up with MTK seems to have changed that scenario and Carroll is delighted to be back and training full on.
“It’s a great feeling great back training full on and I’m very excited to be back,” he said.
“I am back with a new team who will get me the big fights. It’s brilliant to be back and able to focus on training hard, plus there is no better stress relief than punching someone in the face!”
Carroll has been linked with now stablemate Sean Creagh, who also features next weekend, for some time now. The Dubliners’ verbal back and forths have created a desire for the fight and it now looks likely they will trade leather before Tallaght’s Creagh moves to Canada later in the year.
There were rumours it was a fight that could have populated the proposed Katie Taylor homecoming bill, but the World champion now seems likely to fight in America next.
“Sean and myself have been talking about fighting again. I definitely want it, it’s a long time coming. We actually get on great but we’re willing to put friendship aside for 30-odd minutes. I’ll take whatever the team has to offer and look forward to it.”
Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)
