A thronged top table at the Europa Hotel on Wednesday contained a number of big hitters ahead of Friday’s Conlan Boxing promotion at the SSE Arena.
The main event between Padraig McCrory and Colombia’s Leonard Carrillo pits two heavy-handed super-middleweights together and both exuded an air of quiet confidence as they prepare to lock horns.
Joining them were a number of the undercard fighters, including Ruadhan Farrell and Connor Kerr, who rematch for the Irish super-bantamweight title following their thriller in March,
Chris Algieri and Paulie Malignaggi — two men who have been in with some of the biggest names in the sport and are now leading ProBox TV, the free-to-air app (also available on YouTube) for which Conlan Boxing has linked up with as their broadcast partner.
Fast-talking New Yorker, Malignaggi — a former two-weight world champion — outlined their plans to produce evenly-matched fights and this Belfast card fully fits the bill.
McCrory is on the comeback trail following his February defeat to Edgar Berlanga and jumps straight back into the shark tank against Carrillo whose record stands at 17-5 with 16 of those wins inside the distance.
“Seven years has all come to this: the SSE Arena where I made my debut in an empty stadium to the main event,” he reflected.
“It’s been a great journey and I’m humbled by the support. I’m fighting a guy with a 94 per cent knockout ratio and very dangerous, but it’s a fight I must win to get back to big-time boxing and I’d love to bring that back to Belfast.”
The 36-year-old — just slightly older than the visitor — still harbours ambitions to get back into the top bracket of the 12-stone division and therefore, is well aware there can be no slip-up this week.
It would also help to get back in the knockout column as his last stoppage win was in Germany just over two years ago against Leon Bunn and at this stage with a worldwide audience tuning in, a statement would aid his cause greatly.
“He looks quite laid-back and I think that will be his downfall as he will walk onto one,” the west Belfast man predicted.
“He’s probably really confident of his power in his hands and that is the equaliser. It’s always something I’ve had but maybe over the last few it hasn’t shown, but hopefully I can get back to knockout wins, but it’s just important to get back in the ring again and win.
“You may say it’s just another fight on my journey, but there is a big picture. If I get back in the winning column here and into the rankings, who knows what could happen?”
Carrillo, based out of Barcelona for the past couple of years, did not say much but simply promised he would take full advantage of this opportunity.
He was speaking through one of the undercard fighters, Rudy Garcia, who takes on Kurt Walker in another fight that carries plenty of intrigue.
The Mexican-American represents another step up for the Lisburn featherweight and has arrived in Belfast determined to put his first career defeat behind him when dropping a points decision to Mirco Cuello in Texas last year.
Walker said this is the type of battle which has motivated him in camp, “a 50/50 fight and one I’ve trained hard for”, but the visitor insists it’s anything but an even match-up, claiming: “I feel like my skills will take this fight. I know he’s a tough opponent and confident he’ll give me a great fight, but I’m confident I will be victorious.”