Caoimhin Agyarko ready for all-Irish clashes but Callum Walsh and Aaron McKenna fights stall
CAOIMHIN AGYARKO is ready to throw down in all-Irish derby fights with rising stars Callum Walsh and Aaron McKenna – but the Belfast boxer's plans have hit roadblocks this year.
Agyarko, 28, revealed he was offered bouts with both
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Caoimhin Agyarko celebrates after winning his WBA Continental super-welterweight bout against Troy Williamson
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Agyarko says he was offered a bout against Cork sensation Callum Walsh but it fell through
Cork's Walsh, 24, instead took on Scotland's Dean Sutherland in New York on St Patrick's weekend, knocking him out in one brutal round.
Meanwhile, Monaghan's McKenna, 25, impressed against former world champ Liam Smith in a 12-round battle at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
On Walsh, Agyarko told The Rocky Road podcast: 'We asked for that fight for Madison Square Garden and they turned it down.
'Listen, I'm not going to say Callum turned it down, I don't like to say he turned it down. His manager just got back and said it was a fight for down the line. They were going on a different route and I respect that.
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'I think Callum's a good fighter and it'll be a great fight in the future if we ever meet. He's young, up and coming, he's probably a contender now.
'I always respect all the fighters - no matter if they're Irish or not - but especially Irish fighters. I know how hard it is for us to try and make it in the world of boxing and I support all their journeys from afar.
'But if we ever meet, obviously it's business, not personal.
'Irish boxing is booming, you've got Pierce O'Leary, you've got Paddy Donovan, you've got Lewis Crocker, me, Callum Walsh, the McKenna brothers, you've got Gary Cully.
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"You've got Mick Conlan and Anto Cacace still flying the flag. Conor Wallace is on the verge of fighting for a world title as well.
'So Irish boxing is booming and it's great to see because we all kind of grew up together on the Irish scene together and to be all on our own journeys now, doing well, it's great to see how far we've all come.'
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Agyarko's focus remains on becoming Ireland's first black world champion, and two wins in three weeks have bolstered his chances.
First, he defeated Harley Collison at York Hall on March 30 before stepping in on short notice to outpoint Ryan Kelly in Nottingham – extending his record to 17-0.
A clash with Britain's Ishmael Davis is next - on the Crocker-Donovan rematch in Belfast this autumn - likely leaving derbies until next year at least.
On 'King' Callum, Agyarko added: 'I've got gloves and a gumshield and I will travel. Give me a date, I'm ready whenever.
'Well, his manager had said that his next few fights are going to be in LA or Vegas or whatever else and that fight only makes sense in Ireland.
'So I suspect that that's the route they're going to go down, to have a couple more fights in America.
'But listen, he's on his own journey and I'm on my own journey and if we meet, it'll be a great fight and a great fight for the Irish fight fans.
'I don't know him personally, but I wish him all the best on his journey and he keeps winning, I keep winning and we'll make a big fight down the line.'
As for McKenna, Agyarko praised his rival's performance against Smith, saying: 'It was a great performance from Aaron, he stepped up to the plate against a world-class fighter in Liam Smith. A really classy, good performance.
'Beefy, I just think the inactivity killed him. He's been out of the ring, what, 18 months, two years?
"And I think the inactivity against a young, fresh fighter like Aaron McKenna just showed on the night. But it was a real classy performance and he's a real talent.'
Agyarko also addressed his own failed attempt to fight The Silencer earlier this year, adding: 'I accepted the fight for the Donovan Crocker first fight and he turned it down.
'They wanted me to come up to 160. I said, 'no problem'. Then they wanted me to come up to 164 and I said I'm not going up that far.
'They had said that they couldn't make middleweight and then they took the Liam Smith fight at middleweight.
'So, off the basis of that, I would say he would be moving up soon enough to 168. He might be struggling to make 160, but yeah, listen, I've unfinished business at 154.
'Until I win a world title at 154, I don't want to move back up to middleweight or until I achieve something like a European title or the weight gets hard for me to make, I don't want to go back up to 160.
'But career-wise, money-wise, if it made sense. I'm a fighting man. I'll fight anybody if it makes sense.'
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