Q: Simple first question: how did you start out in boxing?
Liam Walsh: When I was younger, I was around 9 or 10, my dad was the head coach at King’s Heath boxing club over in England. He was bringing me along after work or after school and I just decided to give it a go. I didn’t stop since then. Very young age, just growing into it.
Q: At what point did it get serious for you? How long were you training for before you had your first amateur fight?
LW: I was training for about a year, just getting the footwork, the hand position and then after I started sparring. I did it all correct. I did all the learning first, everything all basic, and then I had a skills fight when I was 10 (because you have to be 11 to fight). I had a few spars and skills fights, and then I went into a proper fight when I was just turned 11.
Q: Was that over in the UK?
LW: Yeah, that was in England. It was in Nottingham, I think, I’m not 100% sure now.
Q: So you were living in the UK for a while before you came to Kerry, or came back to Kerry?
LW: Yeah, we went over there for a while. I think it was for Dad’s work, but then we came back over here now.
Q: How many amateur fights did you have in total? Do you know the exact number?
LW: 42 and I won 37.
Q: Can you tell me about your amateur club? Was it Castleisland you were boxing out of in Kerry?
LW: Yeah, Castleisland, Sliabh Luachra. Very good club. My dad was the head coach there as well. When he came over, he took over that club and there were obviously other coaches there who were a great help. Most of my fights were with them. I had about 4 in England and the rest were with Sliabh Luachra. I got my box cup titles, the Munster titles, the National finals, boxing in box cups over in other countries — all with Sliabh Luachra.
Q: What countries did you box in abroad?
LW: Just England. We went to one in Wales as well. They had the Hull box cup…there were other box cups overseas that we entered.
Q: And, obviously, getting into it through your family, I’m assuming you were a boxing fan growing up? Did you watch a lot of it or have any inspirations?
LW: Yeah, I’ve always watched boxing. I always watched other boxers like Tyson Fury, Kell Brook, Amir Khan, all of the top names. I was always following different ones, like Floyd Mayweather. Just because everyone has their own style. My favourite boxer would be either Triple G or Canelo.
Q: So who will you favour if and when they fight for a third time this year? Who do you think will win, first of all, and who do you want to win?
LW: I think Canelo will win because of the age now, but I think Triple G won the first one. It was a very tight second one, and the third one: it will be a great one to watch as well.
Q: I think so as well. I’m with you, I think Triple G won the first one and I gave Canelo the second very narrowly. Probably a hard ask now, at 40, and it’s going to be up at super middle if it happens. Isn’t Golovkin fighting next weekend, his first fight in more than a year? [This interview took place on April 3rd]
LW: Yeah, I’m very excited to watch him to be honest, and see with his new trainer as well, see if he’s made any improvements or has he gone backwards or what’s going to happen.
Q: Back to yourself, you had the family connection, you had plenty of amateur fights and you obviously turned pro very young. What went into that decision? Was it something you always wanted to do? Was there a temptation to stay amateur and do something else there?
LW: I was always planning on going professional but maybe not as young as I did. When Covid hit, there was no amateur boxing. There was nothing going on. We were going up meeting Tony [Davitt], all these pros up the country and around Kerry, Cork, because they were allowed to spar. We really got on with Tony and it was the best option at the time to turn over.
I think it’s actually the right decision now because I’m learning the pro game as a young fella so when I get older, I’ll already have the experience against the journeymen and all that. So when I’m 21, 22, I’ll be ready for proper fights for titles and stuff like that.
Q: Tell me about the set-up you have there for training with Tony Davitt. How has that link up been? How much of your training do you do in Ireland, and how much in the UK?
LW: I wouldn’t do much training in the UK. It’s all with Tony. I’d be up with him pretty much once a day after work, because I’m working as well. When I have a fight date, which I will have pretty soon, I go into a 5 or 6 week camp and then I’m training twice a day, one day off.
It’s a very good working relationship with Tony. It’s very strong. We get on really well. Everything is working, that way I can train with him and fit in work as well. He’s very flexible for me. If I need to push it back an hour because work’s running late or if I need to do it at one in the morning…whenever I can do it, he’ll fit it in.
Q: That’s real passion there. You kind of pre-empted my next question, what is it like balancing work and training? What are the challenges?
LW: Well my work is construction, so it can be quite hard on the body sometimes to do training and to be lifting and everything all day. But obviously I love boxing, so not being full time can be harder and people don’t understand that at the start, it is hard. If you love it, you get through it. Like I say, Tony’s very flexible. Whenever I can fit it in, he’ll fit it in for me. If I can’t, of course I can just go for a run or if it’s too late to call Tony and ask can we do it at 8 o’clock. It would be ridiculous, you know what I mean?
Q: Just before we hit record on the interview here, we were mentioning the lack of pro shows in the Republic and in general in Ireland. Your 3 fights so far have all been over in the UK. Tell me a little about what it’s been like for you boxing on those kind of shows, away from home where you don’t have as much support as you’d have over here.
Tell me what it’s been like boxing the journeymen you have, gaining that experience, and obviously going 3-0, developing that way.
[Video of Liam’s first two pro bouts: https://tinyurl.com/walshzulgis & https://tinyurl.com/walshdevlin%5D
LW: The shows I’ve been on have been fantastic. The whole experience with every single fight has been amazing. It’s hard enough to sell tickets, obviously, because it’s not in Ireland but I do have family over in England and Scotland who will travel for me. That’s a really big help to sell tickets.
The journeymen over there, they’re all tough. The 3 lads I’ve boxed have all been really, really tough men, which is unbelievable for me to get the 4 rounds I need so I can move on to the 6 rounders because I’ve had the experience. Hopefully that will come by the end of the year, maybe a bit further, but we’ll see how I’m feeling the next few fights. Of course, I would love to box in Ireland, in Dublin, Cork, Kerry.
Kerry would be amazing because it would be my home town and I can bring a big, big crowd then. Selling tickets is probably the hardest part when it’s not in Ireland but that will come as well as I get my name bigger.
Q: You mentioned Kerry, there was a show at the Gleneagle hotel in Killarney in 2008. I’ve spoken to Kevin Cronin and Siobhan O’Leary, the fact that there’s now 3 professional boxers in Kerry, hopefully there is going to be another show. That’s the dream. It’s been a long 14 years without one.
Tell me now about the weight that you’ve been boxing at. You’ve been just over 160lbs. Obviously, you’re young. You’re probably growing into the weight. Where do you see yourself in the future? Do you think you’ll be a super middle or a middle?
LW: We’re aiming to be a middleweight at the moment, and keep it middleweight. I’m weighing in at around 73 or 74 kilos for most fights, the last one the weigh in was on the day so there was a big allowance. We could weigh in at around 76 kilos. I didn’t bother that much.
I’d say when I get to about 23, I’ll be going to super middleweight, as I’ll be a full grown man then.
Q: You’ve taken a pretty big step in your career lately. You’ve signed a managerial deal with Carl Greaves. Obviously anybody who follows British boxing would know who he is. What can you tell me about that link up and what that means for your career?
LW: He’s a great fella, Carl. Well one of my sponsors, Baz Jordan Surfacing, is a long term friend of my dad over in England. He sponsors Carl Greaves as he journeyed into boxing, and now as a promoter and manager. He’s still sponsoring him. That was the link up to get me out in my second fight. We had a really good relationship on that fight and it went from there. That’s how the signing came along. He’s been really good to us. Hopefully it all keeps going the way it is and I’m really enjoying it at the moment.
Q: How would you describe your style? I’ve seen your first two fights. You seem to be a pretty patient boxer. As you said earlier, you’re looking to go the 4 rounds. It’s so hard to get the journeymen out of there anyway.
LW: I’m a calm pressure fighter. I am very relaxed in the ring. I take my time. I don’t fluster if I get hit. If I have to box on the back foot, I can do that. In the third fight, I had a fella coming at me swinging hooks. I just stepped back and boxed on the back foot which went fairly well. I could have done a bit more looking back on it and we’ve worked on stuff in the gym for the next one.
But I do prefer to take centre of the ring and control the fight at my pace and pick my shots, pick my moments.
Q: You’ve kind of already touched on it a bit. You’ve mentioned wanting to fight back in Ireland, Kerry someday if possible. You’ve talked about wanting to continue to develop and be patient. What are the long term ambitions?
LW: Definitely world title fights. I want to do it the traditional route with an Irish, then European, and then a world title. I want every title there is. There’s a long, long way to go. The first step is building the record for now but definitely end it with a world title, for sure.
Liam next fights on May 28th in Leicester, England. The fight will be broadcast on Fight Zone TV streaming service — https://www.fightzone.uk/landing-page?redirectafterlogin=%2F
pound 4 pound ireland 
Nineteen! That alone is impressive; I dread to recall my nineteen year old self. He emerges as an intelligent and disciplined lad in this fine interview, Jeremy.
I was keen to note the discussion of ticket sales. What I have gathered about it in the past two years watching some of Hearnโs and Fisheyesโ smaller shows is the onus on the boxers to put fans in seats โ something to which I had not been exposed by my previous diet of US boxing broadcasts from larger venues, featuring established names. Over here the mechanics of the business are obscured. I appreciate how you make them understood.
Liam comes across really well, I agree. He is disciplined and has an experienced team behind him. However, he was held to a draw in his latest fight. While I have yet to see the contest, challenging experiences like that have made many a boxer. Records are for DJs.
Good news though for another local boxer in my parts, Kevin Cronin. While his fight 90 mins from home fell through (again) at late notice when the whole show was pulled, he is now scheduled to finally return in a few weeks in the UK. Hopefully he moves on to 5-0.
Thanks, Richard. The economics of the boxing business in these parts is a lot different to the US. In the US, there are very few genuine ticket draws, and the revenue largely comes from TV money. That’s why you see so many sparse crowds and/or free ticket giveaways.
Here, TV money is far less, and in Ireland non-existent. Boxers get an allocation of tickets and the more of those you can sell, regardless of your ability, the better your chances are of getting on a show and being an A-side boxer who is matched appropriately.
Future Vergil Ortiz opponent, Michael McKinson, who came up the hard way off TV, recently said that he didn’t make a cent off his first 15 or so pro fights. In some cases, these boxers essentially pay to get on these shows to add to their record.