‘The power is there’: Eoghan Lavin says Anthony Crolla can take him to the top
Eoghan Lavin says he learned a lot from Friday night when he defeated Artjom Spatar at the SSE Arena in Belfast.
Lavin (2-0) scored a points win after a useful four rounds of Estonia’s Spatar (4-9-1) and says coach Anthony Crolla can take him to the top.
The 21-year-old Levin was eyeing up a stoppage, but was unable to get Spatar done early.
“I’m feeling good,” Lavin said after the win.
“I could have stopped him. I was a bit cagey for a while because I saw that he caused a few boys a lot of problems. I watched him and studied him and he has a bit about him.
“I maybe left it a bit late to dig in on him, but I think I showed that I bang and I can hurt lads.
“When I dropped downstairs, he spat the gumshield out because they were hurting him. I learned a lot in the fight.”
Hugh Russell Jnr scored the fight 40-36 the way of the former Ballyhaunis BC man, a nine-time Irish champ across the ages before flipping over to the paid ranks.
Lavin knows well he could’ve stopped Spatar – but the finishing power will come.
He said: “The power is there. The farmer power. I need a couple of more rounds. I don’t go looking for the knockout. That boy was a tough, tough lad.
“He is a very good away fighter. He can take shots very well. He was still standing after them.
“I was close to stopping him. I think I was a punch away at one stage and he managed to get away from me. The body shots took a lot out of him, but I might have left it a bit late. If we had six rounds, he wouldn’t have got through.”
Crolla, the former WBA lightweight titlist, is coaching Lavin while Anthony Joshua is managing him.
Under the tutelage of Crolla, Lavin says he can flourish.
He said: “He is world class and he will be one of the very best in the world. I have top faith in him and I need to have belief in myself.
“When I hurt him at the end of the second, I put it on him a lot. From then on, it was just about letting the hands loose, trusting myself and believing in myself.”
