Boxing
Matchroom Fight Camp: Tommy McCarthy ready for 'life-changing' fight against Chris Billam-Smith
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One of the fights that could steal the show at Fight Camp this Saturday is Tommy McCarthy's clash with Chris Billam-Smith for the British, Commonwealth and European cruiserweight titles.
A win for either man would open the door for a potential world title shot and McCarthy is ready for this 'life-changing' fight.
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, McCarthy admits his grandfather, who he is named after, will have to take a large amount of credit for his rise.
McCarthy played a lot of sports as a child including gaelic football and hurling, but his grandfather advised him to focus on his boxing.
He "I was playing guitar and had started boxing around 12 with the Oliver Plunkett club but it got to the point that my grandfather told me to make a choice and he advised me to focus on boxing.
"He actually never wanted me to box but he was a realist and clearly he could see something so I owe him a lot,"
The 30-year-old grew up in Belfast and was brought up by his grandparents after his mother passed away when McCarthy was approaching his eighth birthday.
"At the time I was living in London with my mummy but then came back to Belfast and all my friends were in my granny’s street or at the boxing club which was like a second family to me because everyone in the Plunkett got on so well." McCarthy said.
"The friends I made in that club were friends for life."
It's been a long journey for McCarthy from boxing in the Antrim championships to potentially being on the cusp of a world title fight.
"My grandfather watched me box in the Antrim championships and thought I had some potential so things went from there. It’s been a long journey to this point.
"I’ve always wanted to be on the biggest stage and to be a world champion. This is the most important fight of my career and although the three belts would be nice, the main motivation for me is the fact that I know a win will get me a crack at the world title."
While some fighters would be nervous and struggling with the pressure ahead of a career-defining fight, McCarthy is excited about the future if he is victorious on Saturday night.
"That’s why this fight is a life-changer. Everything I’ve worked for, right back to those days in Oliver Plunkett with my old coach Patsy McAllister is on the line here." McCarthy stated.
"Some people talk about pressure in a fight like this but for me it’s excitement that I’m that bit closer to my dreams.”
McCarthy vs. Billam-Smith is part of a huge bill at Fight Camp 2, night one, on July 31. You can subscribe to DAZN to watch all three Fight Camp cards over the coming three Saturday nights.
