COMMONWEALTH Games bronze medallist Connor Coyle is heading Stateside in a bid to launch his professional career - with the Derry banger hoping to make his debut in September.
Coyle flies out to Florida on Friday to hook up with veteran coach Jim McLaughlin, who trained former undisputed world light-middleweight champion Ronald ‘Winky’ Wright. He will also join former St Joseph’s clubmate John Crilly, who made his pro debut last month, and Coyle is hoping to make the same step in the near future.
“There’s not much happening for me over here, so John said for me to come over. He was speaking to his coach Jim McLaughlin, showed him footage of me and he asked me to come over and see how I get on,” said the 26-year-old.
“I’m heading over this week, starting a training camp on Monday week and talks of having my first professional fight in September. There’s nothing 100 per cent confirmed. It looks good and it sounds good, but I’ll not know exactly what’s happening until I get over and train alongside them.
“I’m coming back on September 27, so I’m away for 10 weeks. It was a hard decision, but there’s nothing happening here for me and that’s the best opportunity I have at this time. If I don’t enjoy it or it doesn’t work out, I’ll move on to something else. But I think it will be good because I’ve always had my heart set on America.”
Coyle has had a frustrating couple of years since winning middleweight bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, losing a close contest to Olympic hopeful Michael O’Reilly in the Irish Elite semi-final later in 2014 before falling to rising star Conor Wallace at last November’s championships.
The Derry man, who won a silver medal at the prestigious Gee-Bee multi-nations tournament in Finland in March 2015, has made no secret of his desire to turn over to the paid ranks. He had been in talks with the Macklin’s Gym Marbella promotional stable earlier in the year, but nothing transpired and Coyle has spent much of the summer down in Paschal Collins’ Celtic Warriors Gym in Dublin.
There, he sparred the likes of middleweight contender Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan, who lost to Chris Eubank jnr last year, Luke Keeler and Steve Collins jnr as he stepped up his preparation for the pro game: “I got on well, learning different things - learning the pro game a bit too. Hopefully, it will stand me in good stead for going over to America," he said.
“There’s a great atmosphere in the gym, the boys are great, so it was a brilliant experience and I thought I did well. When you’re in with the likes of Spike, it’s about not running around too much like you do in the amateurs, you’d be on your feet a bit more. I was slowing it down a bit, doing six or eight rounds, just working on that endurance. Pacing your work for eight rounds.”
With a young child at home, it is with a heavy heart that Coyle leaves for pastures new, but it is the thought of his family back home, he insists, that will drive him on. The plan, once he gets down to business, is to make an instant impression and secure an Irish title shot early in his career.
“I’m looking forward to it - I love new opportunities and setting new goals,” he said.
“I was sitting around too long waiting for something to jump out and now I’m just raring to go. I’m flying fit now as it is. I’d like to get a good few fights, maybe six fights or so, in America and then maybe an Irish title fight and go on from there.
"I just want to keep on climbing the ladder until I get to the top.”
THREE Belfast fighters are being lined up for British title shots later this year after a spectacular weekend at the Machine MMA 16 in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.
Michael Mulvenna, Ciaran Mulholland and Patrick McNally all made the short trip to the Toon and it turned out to be a successful trip as they all returned with belts around their waists. In the co-main event, Meagan O'Loughlin - from Coolmine MMA club in Dublin - won a European title but, by that stage, the Belfast Martial Arts Academy had gone 3-0 on the night.
Mulvenna was first up, defeating Zac Ebanks via a rear-naked choke in the third round to win the 61kg semi-pro Machine MMA title. Mulholland defeated James Amos via rear-naked choke in the first round to win the 57kg Machine MMA amateur title, while McNally beat Robert McStravock via armbar in the first round to win the 62kg Machine MMA amateur title.
Their coach at Belfast MAA, Stephen Sweeney, was understandably proud afterwards and said he hoped all three would fight for British titles in December: "I don't even know where to start,” he said.
“We have went back to our old training scheme and the guys have really put the hours in and deserve this. There will be plenty more to see from us, great wins for Ireland from great kids."
