Cork boxer Callum Walsh hasn't forgotten his roots in Riverstown Boxing Club
Callum Walsh, right, in action against Przemyslaw Runowski. Picture: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Callum Walsh is riding the crest of a wave in the world of professional boxing.
The 23-year-old has very impressively to date in the professional ranks recorded 12 wins, with 10 of those coming by knockout.
Being trained by the iconic boxing coach Freddie Roach, Walsh is managed by Tom Loeffler, the man who helped to shape the careers of Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, along also with Gennady Golovkin. Dana White and the Ultimate Fighting Championship is also backing Walsh. All of this showcases how many see the huge potential in the Cobh man.
In his most recent bout which was on Irish soil in September, Walsh successfully defended his WBC Continental Americas Super Welterweight title at the 3 Arena with a devastating second-round knockout against Przemyslaw Runowski of Poland.
Walsh is ranked in the top 10 on the IBF and WBC world rankings at Super Welterweight, showing how highly-rated he is.
During the post-fight press conference at the 3Arena, Walsh spoke about the role his coaches in the Riverstown Boxing Club in Cork helped him in learning his trade.
“I wouldn’t be sitting here right now if it wasn’t for them. They’ve trained me since I was 11. I won six Irish titles and I won a European gold medal with my coaches from Riverstown Boxing Club, Teddy and Brian Barry.
Walsh, clearly, is highly appreciative of his boxing roots.
Indeed it was in Riverstown that Walsh took his first steps into boxing at 10 years of age. That started a journey which has seen the Cobhman only soar higher ever since.
Walsh comes back when he gets the opportunity to Riverstown Boxing club, helping to inspire the next generation of young boxers in the club alongside his partner, Brazilian UFC female fighter Tabatha Ricci.
Speaking to The Echo, Brian Barry, one of Walsh’s coaches during his time at Riverstown Boxing Club, explained on rise to the top.
“Anytime Callum comes back, we would be sparring the younger lads below from 10 years of age up. He’d be giving them tips and encouraging them, doing what he can to help them along.
“Every one of them, whatever two are inside in the ring, they go for Callum first. They won’t come to me or Teddy or Colin, they go straight to Callum to see what they are doing.
“It is great for the youngsters to see him. Callum and his partner Tabatha, they come back fairly often into the club and they train. Tabatha spars with some of them down in the club as well.
“So it is great to have those people coming in and for our youngsters having someone like that to look up to is incredible."
Assessing his career to date, Barry believes he can go all the way.
“Certainly where he is now no surprise to us at all. Myself and my brother and my nephew went over to Madison Square Garden to see him box, that was an incredible night, to see him in the flesh in Madison Square Garden.
“Then to see him come back to the 3Arena a couple of weeks ago and put on that show. During the first round you could see he was looking for that certain shot and it worked a treat in the second round, he found it perfect.
“So the plan was there and I think again it goes back to when he was young. You’d tell him something and he’d do it without even thinking about it.
“He had a plan in place going into that fight in the 3Arena and his plan worked a treat."
At this rate surely a homecoming bout on Leeside is not too far away. What an occasion that would be for sport in Cork.
Walsh is without question one of the most exciting talents in Irish professional boxing. The prospect of bringing a world title back to Cobh doesn't seem unrealistic.
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