conor quinn [2(2)-0] he says he only needs one round to put his name back on the lips of fight fans.
The exciting young talent, who has been earmarked to be the next big ‘little man’ to emerge from Belfast, has not fought in just under three years.
The 21-year-old had scan issues that prevented him from competing and his forced sabbatical made him disappear from the consciousness of many within the fraternity of fear.
The former Clonard ABC fan has finally gotten the go-ahead, making a long-time return to competitive action on the undercard of Eric Donovan and Khalil El Hadri’s vacant EU title fight next Saturday, and plans to cause an impression.
In fact, the Mark Dunlop-guided flyweight, trained by Dee Walsh, says he’ll need just three minutes to remind people why there was so much excitement around him before.
“Two years out of the ring it would be natural for them to forget, but on Saturday give me a round and I’ll never be forgotten again,” he tells Irish-boxing.com with a cheeky smile.
“I will prove that I have been working in the gym and everything that Dee and I come out and, as I said, on September 24 I will not be forgotten again after that.
The MHD signed, ‘Magnificent’ was to fight Ángel Gabriel Chávez [3(3)-3(1)-1] he will live in TG4, but instead he will exchange leather with the dangerous Nicaraguan Darwin Martínez.
If he secures victory, the man from Belfast wants to move quickly, something he believes is possible at flyweight and because he’s not your average 2-0 fighter.
“The plan is to move quickly. I want to do it the traditional way for British, European and world titles,” he adds. “There aren’t many at my weight in the UK, so a couple of fights and we’ll be looking seriously at British title opportunities and moving on. Mark has a great plan and I really think I’m with the best man to take me to the titles.”
The path to the top is easier for those in the smaller weight classes. Only by virtue of the lack of bodies do opportunities arise a little quicker and having been training full time for over three years, Quinn is confident he can pick up the pace a little faster than most.
“I’m only 2-0 as a fighter, but the way I see it, most people with that record have only been pro for a few months. I have been a professional fighter for three years and have been training the best in the world. Andrew Maloney in Australia I trained him every week and he was world champion at the time. Then I go back home and train with Dee Walsh, who I think is one of the best trainers in the world.
“So even though I’m only 2-0 in my head, I’m way ahead of any other 2-0 fighter. There’s a fine line, but I think Mark will always make the best move and pick the best fights possible.”
