Caoimhin Agyarko reveals padel call that reignited world title charge after 18-month layoff
CAOIMHIN AGYARKO almost had enough of the boxing racket – but a phone call before a game of padel reeled him back in.
The
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Caoimhin Agyarko in action Harley Collison after an 18-month lomng layoff
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The Irish boxing star revealed that he plays the popular racket sport
Activity became an issue but outside of the ring, Agyarko kept himself busy with other sports while inside the ropes, a quickfire burst of action has his dreaming of world title glory once more.
On March 30, he took a fight with Harley Collison at York Hall, winning over eight rounds to shake off seven months' worth of ring rust.
Instead of putting his feet up, 28-year-old Agyarko stayed ready – and then his phone rang. It was manager Paul Ready - with a proposition.
Ishmael Davis had pulled out of a high-profile bout in Sheffield. Hearn needed a substitute. Did he fancy it?
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Agyarko told The Rocky Road boxing podcast: 'Yeah, I was actually on my way to play padel and I got a call from my manager.
'And he said, 'listen, do you want to fight Ryan Kelly in ten days' time?' And I just said, 'yeah'.
'Over the last 18 months, I've been quite inactive, I've had a bit of stick off people not really knowing what's going on behind the scenes and saying that I was turning down fights and this, that and the other.
'So the first thing on my mind was, 'This is the perfect opportunity to prove them people wrong and take the fight at ten days' notice'.
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'I knew I was capable of beating Ryan Kelly. And yeah, it was good to kind of prove to everybody that I am willing to take fights on short notice.
'I am willing to step in against whoever, regardless of time. And that was my opportunity to do so. And I went out and grabbed it with both hands.
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'And I got my game of padel in the end! After the call from my manager, I booked my flight back to Liverpool from Belfast the following morning, played padel and had to go home and pack.
'It's just me and my friends who play. There's about five or six of us that always just try and get booked in each week. So yeah, I like to kind of take my mind off boxing when I'm back home.'
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Padel is one of the world's fastest-growing sports. Leo Messi, Andy Murray and Andre Agassi are fans of a game with the same core functions of tennis – smacking a furry ball over a net.
There are some key differences in terms of scoring, serving and using the back wall. Oh, and it is enclosed.
Agyarko grinned: 'It's like tennis in a cage. The rules are very similar, but you have to play like doubles. You couldn't play like one v one, but it's very good.
'It keeps you active. And I like to play different sports and learn new skills and stuff whenever I'm back home.
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'Obviously I still train with boxing and stuff, but I like to do a bit of MMA, football, go and play darts, padel, just something different.'
Having boxed on Hearn's show in the Steel City, in his next outing he will get to do so in his hometown.
The Lewis Crocker v Paddy Donovan rematch is set to take place later this year – and Agyako is due to fight the man he subbed in for.
He added: 'Yeah, I think it's going to be Ishmael Davis in August, September, I would say it would be chief support. But yeah, big fight, big card and back to Belfast to put on big fights.
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'That's what's next. And that's what I'm fully focused on now, because it's set in stone.
'Being number five in the world before the Kelly fight, now I've picked up another WBA continental title, I could move up to three, four. So I'm right in there for a world title shot or a world title eliminator.
'So listen, all eyes on Ishmael Davis, if that's who it is in September. Get through Ishmael Davis, then I want a world title shot or I want an eliminator.
'I've grafted my way into this position. I've had four or five title fights. And they've all been with the WBA. So hopefully Terence Crawford can move out of the way, vacate and I can fight.'
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Crawford holds the WBA and WBO belts at 154lb but is not likely to stick around, instead targeting a superstar clash with Canelo Alvarez, if the Mexican gets past William Scull in Riyadh on Saturday.
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Not that Agyarko would dodge him, if a Bud bout somehow came about.
He smiled: 'Yeah, of course, listen, I'm always confident against whoever I want, but I'm also not delusional.
'He's a great fighter, pound for pound, one of the best. And obviously it would be great to go in and fight someone like him and test your skills against the very best.'
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Agyarko is just happy to be active and able to talk about such things again.
Having overcome a tough spell in his career, he is ready to let his fists do the talking now.
He added: 'Mentally, I'm a different fighter now. I've always been mentally tough and headstrong, but I just show my resilience every single time there's some sort of adversity - whether that's in the ring or outside the ring.
'The last 18 months have shown me that things can go from 100 to 0 real quick and things can also go from 0 to 100 real quick.
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'So just stay active in the gym and be the best athlete and professional that you can possibly be. And yeah, you've just always got to stay dedicated and disciplined because things can change very quickly.'
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