Having escaped any disruptions to his training camp by Hurricane Ian, Florida-based Connor “The Kid” Coyle is locked and loaded for this Saturday’s WBA Intercontinental title fight with fellow undefeated world middleweight title contender Felix Cash at London’s O2 Arena.
Coyle, the North American Boxing Association [NABA] champion, wrapped up training in Pinellas Park, FL., in the wake of Hurricane Ian last week before flying out to London ahead of his scrap with Cash [15-0, 10 KOs]. The scheduled 10-rounder will be the co-feature to the grudge match between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn on a card to be broadcast live in the U.S. by DAZN, beginning at 2 p.m. EST.
“I’d never seen a hurricane before because we don’t get storms like this at home,” said Coyle, who is from Derry. “There were trees that tore out of the ground and landed on houses a few doors down here in Pinellas Park, so we were very lucky to have no damage or any interruptions in training. My thoughts are with everybody in Florida impacted by Hurricane Ian.”
Drilled by Florida Boxing Hall of Fame trainer Jim McLaughlin, Coyle is in top shape having opened camp in early August. He fought on Sept. 17 in Tampa, Fl., unanimously decisioning Mexican veteran Silverio Ortiz [37-32, 18 KOs] over eight rounds to up his own ledger to 17-0 [7 KOs].
McLaughlin has prepared “The Kid” well for Cash, an Englishman out of Berkshire who is ranked #4 by the WBO, #10 by the IBF and #12 by the WBA. The latter ranking is three spots behind Coyle, who is #9.
“Felix is a skilled and highly rated fighter, so we’ve been working on specific things to get ready the moment we knew about this fight,” said Coyle. “I expect he’ll bring out the best of me because this is a huge fight. We’ve put a plan together that’ll work to our advantage and take my career to the next level.”
ALI RETURN
Middleweight prospect Nico Ali Walsh, the grandson of “The Greatest,” makes his Madison Square Garden return on Oct. 29 against one Billy Wagner. Their contest in the Garden’s Hulu Theater will be Ali Walsh’s first scheduled six rounder.
Ali Walsh-Wagner joins the undercard of the lightweight main event between former pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko and the unbeaten Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz.
“I am thrilled to be back in action on another significant card. Lomachenko is one of the greats of his era,” Ali Walsh said. “My first year as a professional has been a tremendous learning experience, and I have a great team to help me get to the next level. I respect Billy Wagner and am preparing to showcase everything I’ve learned in the gym from my incredible trainer, Kay Koroma.”
The undefeated Ali Walsh [6-0, 5 KOs] made his MSG debut last December with a four-round majority decision over Reyes Sanchez.
Ali Walsh’s fight and the entire Lomachenko-Ortiz card will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+. Promoted by Top Rank, tickets starting at $56 are available at Ticketmaster.com.
