‘Point of Pride’ (SSE Arena, Saturday from 5pm, live on DAZN from 7pm)
 
FRIENDS can become foes in boxing at the drop of a hat, and that is the situation for Tommy McCarthy and Steven Ward who square off in a make-or-break cruiserweight clash between the pair on Saturday’s undercard at the SSE Arena.

To say the pair would be familiar with one another would be an understatement: regular sparring partners over the years as they helped get the other prepared for fight nights, while they were teammates and fellow medallists at the 2008 Commonwealth Games.

This is a classic example of friendship being put to the side as the Belfast cruiserweights battle it out for 10 rounds with their careers on the line.

Both 34-year-olds will be aware that defeat will likely spell the end in terms of meaningful title ambition, with Ward coming off a fifth-round loss to Juergen Uldedaj last summer, which saw his record slip to 14-3. That followed a routing six-round win that ended a two-and-a-half-year absence from the ring when ‘The Quiet Man’ became the forgotten man.

He knows he can ill-afford to be left out to dry again, so victory is a must if he wishes to keep his dream of landing a crack at the British title alive.

“This is a fight I thought might have happened before now,” he said.

“People were saying it’s the last dance for me, but it’s the catalyst because I’ve always wanted the British, so win this - what I expect to do - and I can get it.

“I will win. Me and Tommy are big mates; we’ve sparred countless rounds together but that will be different on the night under the lights. We are both going in to win and I’m confident I will win.”

Considering how well they know one another as boxers and as men, it’s hard to know how this will play out as there will be nothing the other can do different to what they have seen before during those countless sparring rounds.

That could well make it more of a cagey affair, but with some much riding on the outcome, can either of them leave anything to chance?

A fight between the pair is not one that has ever really seemed a certainty and when the idea was floated by McCarthy’s manager mark Dunlop prior to Christmas, it suddenly dawned that it made all the sense in the world.

‘Mac Attack’ is also in a position where he simply must deliver this week as following back-to-back stoppage defeats to Michal Cieslak in a European title challenge and then to Cheavon Clarke at the Ulster Hall, it seemed his career was as good as done.

But the fire still burned for the Lenadoon man who opted to return and got back on the winning trail against journeyman Ryan Labourn - as low-key as it gets - to get the confidence back as he improved to 21-6.

That opened the door to this derby duel and although there is no animosity between them, the desire and absolute necessity to win will trump all for 10 rounds.

“The fight wasn’t on the radar until it got made,” McCarthy explained.

“I was asked about it and we both said ‘yes, let’s do it’, so here we are. It’s sport at the end of the day. We’re competitors, so we will put everything else to the side and just go for it.

“We started sparring each other when we were 13 and have sparred for years and years, so this is strictly business.

“I have to win this fight, can’t afford another loss, so I’m fully focused on doing the job.”