Stephen Carroll happy to make jump and take Shortt-cut to titles

Stephen ‘Shortty’ Carroll [3(0)-0] is back in action next month. The Dublin light welter takes the trip up the M1 for the Prospect Boxing show at the Europa Hotel in Belfast on Saturday October 22nd.

The card may be small-hall, but it is a big step up for the Ballyfermot brawler, who moves up to eight rounds for the first time in what will be just his fourth professional fight.

The 24 year old gains his title eligibility and is excited to step up in both class and distance.

Carroll spoke to Irish-Boxing.com about the upcoming clash and confirmed that he is happy to move straight from four rounds to eight. The all-action Dub feels it will suit his style and explained that it will allow him “to get busier, let the shots flow more, and be constantly in my opponent’s face.”

The man in the opposite corner is yet to be confirmed, although Carroll promises that it will be, by far, the best opponent of his career. This is something he is grateful for as he describes how “I always find I box better against a better boxer. I feel I adjust to my opponents style, whether it’s good or bad, and sometimes in the four-rounders it can therefore be messy.”

The crowd-favourite is planning to bring big support with him in five weeks time, and is looking to win some new fans in Ireland’s boxing capital. He outlined how “I hope to fill a bus to Belfast. People always love my style and my true fans never let me down.”

In the same city two weeks later the Boxnation cameras roll into town for a show at the Titanic Exhibition Centre. The uncercard to the Jamie Conlan-headlined bill is rumoured to feature a fight between light welters Tyrone McKenna and Sean Creagh. They are two men known well to Carroll; a clash with Creagh has long been discussed, while he has amateur previous with McKenna.

On their previous meeting, in which McKenna was victorious, Carroll recalled how “I boxed Tyrone as an amateur boxer, he started fast with his nice long range and kept me off for a round and a half, I came on strong but I left it late. I could have won with more rounds,but it would still be a tough fight.

In terms of Dublin rival Creagh, he admits that “me and Sean for the title would be nice as we both like to just bang.”

“It’s something we can look at after the eight-rounders are out of the way.”