Tommy McCarthy happy with easy path to a world title

Tommy McCarthy [18(9)-2(1)] believes he has effectively been handed one of the easiest world title eliminators in the history of boxing.

The European Champion has been promised a world title shot if registers victory on the DAZN broadcast Fight Camp card in Matchroom headquarters this coming Saturday.

Beat Chris Billiam-Smith [12(10)-1] in a now eagerly awaited triple crown British, Commonwealth and European cruiserweight title fight and Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom will push him toward one of the four world champions at his weight.

The same goes for the Oliver Plunket graduate’s opponent and fellow world-ranked opponent, ‘The Gentleman’, meaning the big man meeting can be viewed as an unofficial world title eliminator.

And ‘The Mac Attack’ believes he couldn’t have been handed a relatively easy path toward world honours.

“I will fight anyone but to fight Chris Billam-Smith to get the clean sweep and go for a world title after, you couldn’t have picked a better opponent. Some people have World title eliminators against killers, and I’ve got Chris, I couldn’t say no,” he said during the final press conference before the show.

The 30-year-old has been quite vocal about the advantages he brings into the fight, stressing he can only suffer defeat if he suffers lapses of concentration or underperforms.

“Nothing concerns me about Chris, I’ve got better boxing skills, I’m elusive, I’ve got more experience, all those cards are stacked in my favour. 
 
“Chris is just rolling the dice here, it’s a big mistake to take this fight in this stage of his career. I’ve said it before, he isn’t ready for such a big jump, he hasn’t been fighting at a good level and he’s coming up to my level. I’m going to prove that on Saturday night.

Tense stare-down between Tommy McCarthy and Chris Billam-Smith ahead of tomorrow’s European, Commonwealth and British cruiserweight showdown at #FightCamp #McCarthyBillamSmith https://t.co/bjsLSYViSv

— David Mohan (@DavidMohan99) July 30, 2021

 
“Chris is a good fighter but he’s not on my level. That’s not an opinion that’s looking at the facts, he hasn’t got my experience or boxed at my level. Saturday night I’m going to thump him all over the ring.”
 
McCarthy also revealed he doesn’t believe ‘CBS’ believes in the prediction he has continually shared throughout the build-up.

‘Big Tommy’ thinks Billam-Smith has been feed the ‘mid to late stoppage’ line and is repeating it like a parrot.

“He’s been saying he’ll KO me; he’s been saying the exact same one-liner in every interview – ‘I think I’ll stop him in the mid to late rounds’ – somebody is saying it to him. He is saying what Shane is saying. I’m coming in here to smash him to bits.”

The Shane McGuigan trained English fighter is the bookies favourite going into the 12 round fight and his story seems to have attracted positive fan attention.

However, McCarthy warns there will be no fairy tale ending come Saturday.

“The British public seem to like him, he is the great white hope of the cruiserweight division. He is the big tall English guy, ‘The Gentleman’ and all that, I think that’s why they are all backing him. But I’m Ireland’s great black hope and I’m coming to burst the UK’s bubble.”

Manager Mark Dunlop revealed McCarthy has been fueled by Billam-Smith’s call out and is backing his man to secure an impressive win to move a step closer to a world title shot.

This is the triple crown of British and Irish boxing; we’re delighted that we’re facing Chris for all three belts. Chris seems like a nice guy, but I feel he’s being pushed to say the things he’s saying. At the end of the day, when you get into that ring there’s only going to be one winner and that will be Tommy McCarthy.
 
“I’ve never seen Tommy so dedicated, he hasn’t been out of camp since the last fight and that’s why he’s in incredible shape. He’s chomping at the European level and kicking the door of a World title – he’s number three in the IBF. Tommy’s going for everything, all the belts and World title. That’s why we’re here, not for the money but for the glory.” 

Picture credit Mark Robinson Matchroom.