IT’S a return to Italy for Tommy McCarthy as the Lenadoon cruiserweight gets set once again to take on Fabio Turchi for the WBC International title on Friday (live on Sky Sports).
McCarthy was due to take on the Italian in Rome back on July 11, but the undefeated champion pulled out just days before the bout through injury, so instead ‘Mac Attack’ took on late replacement Francesco Cataldo who he blew away in two rounds.
So, this week McCarthy travels to the PalaTrento in north Italy in the hope Turchi gets through fight week unscathed and gives him the opportunity to claim the title that will get his career firmly back on track.
“It kinda worked out better for me because when I got work of the (initial) fight it was a bit late notice,” he said of Turchi’s withdrawal in July.
“It wasn’t too bad - about four - weeks but it still wasn’t ideal. He pulled out last minute, so I’ve been able to have a full camp to get fully prepared for him.
“Last time it was a bit rushed, but it all worked out well. Last time, I got a warm-up fight in Italy to shake the rust off and now I’m ready to go.”
There has been a reshuffle of his team as Pete Taylor has been enlisted as his coach, replacing Tony Dunlop.
There was no falling-out with the Kronk-based Dunlop, just the realisation that he needed to get out of his comfort zone and travel south to team up with Taylor who he worked under when part of the Irish amateur set-up.
He knows that Taylor can get the best of him and having watched some under his stewardship make huge strides including Luke Keeler who twice beat Conrad Cummings and is now on the brink of a world title shop, McCarthy felt it was the right move.
“I just thought I needed a change because this is a big opportunity,” he explained.
“I wasn’t to make sure I’ve ticked every box going in and in my opinion, Pete’s one of the best trainers in the world and definitely the best in the country.
“You look at the improvement in Luke Keeler over the last 18 months. Keeler’s gone from domestic level and now he’s looking at a world title in his next fight.
“I’ve worked with Pete before at the High performance and been away on camps with him, so I knew he was a top trainer.
“You can get too comfortable. Training in the Kronk suited me because it’s only down the motorway and me and Tony get on great. “You don’t want to leave comfortable surroundings, but for me to get to the level I want to be, you’ve got to leave the comfort zone and that’s what I did.”
It won’t be a completely different McCarthy on Friday, just one who has regrouped and focussed on the aspects of his game that led him to become a top amateur and exciting prospect in the professional game.
Southpaw Turchi comes to the ring with 17 wins from as many contests and 13 inside the distance, so carries power in his fists that are a nod to his ‘Stone Crusher’ ring moniker.
However, the Belfast man believes he has the skills in his locker to out-box the Italian and score a huge win that will catapult his career forward and open doors to some even bigger opportunities.
“I’m looking to just go in with pure boxing, the way I used to be,” he outlined.
“Since I’ve teamed up with Pete, it’s not like it’s a new Tommy McCarthy; it’s just rebuilding the old one.
“I’ve always been effective as a good, slick boxer who punches hard and that’s what I want to do - use my skills to find the openings and once I do - take him out.
“They are all strong fellas when you get to this level, but there’s nothing there that worries me too much. He’s a southpaw, but not an awkward one. He likes to box from the centre of the ring with the hands up and dominate from there, but that suits me because I want to out-box on the outside.
“This can open a lot of doors for me and get some big paydays against big names. The exposure can raise my profile through the roof.”
