Connor Coyle ready for huge year with Belfast fights on the horizon

A new baby on the way, a marriage and possibly three fights in Belfast in 2023, it is all finally falling into place for Connor Coyle.

The Derry middleweight has travelled countless miles and sacrificed time with his family in his pursuit of his passion and pursuit of his ultimate goal – a world title. He is now closer than ever before to that dream, with a deal in place with Conlan Boxing to fight closer to home than at any stage in his professional career to date.

The first fight of three potential bouts will take place in Belfast on May 27, which is huge in itself for ‘The Kid’ after so long in America.

Before that however, Coyle, now number four in the world, must defend his NABA title in the main event of Reyes Fire Fist Boxing’s “Fire on the Bay” on Saturday, April 29 in Florida against Argentinian William Silva. Beyond that, the sky is the limit for the Derry man.

“It’s exciting times now going into 2023, especially as number four in the world, which means the big fights are just around the corner,” he agreed.

“The phones have been ringing and we know the big fights are going to happen. I’ll get that phone call and that big fight will just be around the corner. My name is out there now in the middleweight division, and the middleweight division is wide open at the minute. Everything’s possible. I just have to keep putting the work in and keep winning and just keep doing what I’m doing really and the opportunity will come.”

The 32-year-old last fought in Ireland when he defeated Miguel Aguilar over four rounds at the National Stadium in 2017 and the prospect of fighting on home soil at long last is music to his ears.

“That will be amazing, especially for the fans here in Derry and my family and friends who weren’t able to fly to America to watch because it was too far away, so it will be good to have them there support me in Belfast,” he continued.

“We knew this year was going to be an exciting year and a big year. Our end goal is a world title so this is the year we have to push for it now. If we don’t lift a world title this year, we want at least to be in the world title eliminator fight. Those options have already been set in front of us so we just have to wait for the right moment and the right contract to be sent. I’m excited to see how it unfolds.”

Higher level

Coyle is now back in Florida to prepare for the fight with Silva, just over seven weeks away, a contractual defence of his NABA title. Now in the top four in the world, Coyle is hoping for a ore high quality opponent going forward, as this , he insists, will bring out the best in him as a professional.  “I’ll just take it one fight at a time but I’ve proved myself in the ring and I’ve proved myself being away from my family and my kids,” he stated. “I just know that the best of me is still to come out when I step in the ring with a high-level fighter. The higher the opportunity and the higher the opponent I fight, the best it will bring out of me.

“It’s hard for me to perform at my highest level when I’m fighting fighters below me, or survivors, or journeymen or people like that. I need someone coming at me, I need high, fast-paced fighters to produce the best of me so I’m excited to get those fights this year.”

Next up

Silva is the latest in a long line of South American opponents for Coyle, and in his first fight since overcoming Sladan Janjanan in December, he is hoping for an opponent who wants to fight.

“We just fight whoever the WBA gives us,” Coyle explained.

“He’s Argentinian so he’ll be tough but we’ll fight him, get him out of the way then we’ll focus on the next one. South American fighters are all tough, they are all durable and they all have their own skillset. They are very awkward and they are tough.

“My last opponent in December was probably the trickiest opponent yet because he was very hard to hit. He was a survivor; he didn’t come to beat me, he just came to survive and he was hard to pin down. I would rather have someone who is able to fight and able to come at me. It makes it a more interesting fight and much more exciting rather than people running away from you and you can’t pin them down.

“I don’t want those types of fights now, I was big fights. I’ve proved myself and I’m at the age now where I need to start producing these good fights. I’m not going to stop until I’m world champion.”

Behind the scenes throughout this whole story has been St. Joseph’s ABC coach Cahair Duffy, who has worked with Connor for two decades, helping shape him into the champion that he is today.

“Cahair works behind the scenes and he doesn’t want any credit or any limelight,” Connor said. “He’s a very quiet men but he puts in a lot of work with me behind the scenes and he always has done since I was 11 or 12 years old. He’s still there; he has me at the hills at 9 o’clock in the morning after he leaves the wains to school, he’s still pushing me on and he’ll be there until the end. It’s maybe 21 years ow with Cahir and he’s stuck by my side during this whole time. I definitely think if it wasn’t for Cahair, I wouldn’t be boxing today.”

Sponsors

Connor would like to thank the following for their continued support:

KSK Rathmor, Indigo Interiors NY, Phones.Connect, Classique Floor Designs, The Bentley Bar, Rachel Sheehan (Celtic Bar), The Thirsty Goat, The Sooty Olive, That Prize Guy, Conor Curley (Curley’s Car Sales) and Brooklands Fencing.