Spike backs Ireland’s Last Man Standing – reveals Prizefighter snub

Considering he pole-vaulted into world title contention with a stunning stoppage win over Antoine Douglas last month, Spike O’Sullivan will not be entering Ireland’s Last Man Standing.

However, the Cork middleweight is familiar with the format and will be an interested observer at the National Stadium on Saturday March 3rd.

The Mahon 33 year old is currently ticking over following his upset seventh round stoppage win over Douglas – which saw him enter the WBA rankings at #13 and is expected to be added to the Top 15s of the WBC and WBO in the coming weeks.

O’Sullivan’s immediate future looks to be in America, with big Golden Boy fights in Boston seeming likely, but the former Irish champion has some names in mind for the eight-man Prizefighter-style tournament.

“It’s brilliant,” O’Sullivan [27(19)-2(1)] said of the concept to Irish-Boxing.com.

“I am a bit surprised with the 165lbs limit, but I think if you have the likes of Bernard Roe, Craig O’Brien, Luke Keeler, and Darren Cruise – because he gave Luke a great fight – it would be a great night.”

The Red Corner/Assassin venture is the second tournament of its kind in Ireland following Matchroom’s Prizefighter Irish Middleweights in Belfast back in 2012.

O’Sullivan was reigning Irish champion at the time having defeated Ciaran Healy and then defended versus Robbie Long – however he did not feature in the competition which was won by Eamonn O’Kane.

Recalling this episode, O’Sullivan described how it’s a great format and I would have loved to have done the one on Sky Sports back a few years ago but they never gave me the chance.”

“I remember the one that came to Ireland and Steve Collins said on Sky Sports to Barry McGuigan ‘how is there a middleweight Prizefighter in Ireland and the Irish champion isn’t on it? How can it be the best of the middleweights if the best middleweight isn’t in it?’.

“I was the Irish champion at the time. We asked to be in.”

Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)