Callum Walsh is at the vanguard of Zuffa Boxing’s advance into the sport.
Zuffa is a new promotional entity, headed by Dana White, that has just agreed a landmark broadcast deal with Sky Sports.
With a minimum of five fight cards a year on UK soil as part of the deal, Walsh is looking forward to boxing in Europe. The Irishman, trained by legendary coach Freddie Roach, has been boxing across America and headlined the first Zuffa Boxing event earlier this year.
He has only boxed once in his home country as a professional but is eager to return. “I’d love to fight over this way, I’d love to fight in Ireland first. I’d love Ireland to be my next fight,” he told Sky Sports.
“[Boxing in Dublin was] one of the best nights of my life, walking out to that crowd was insane. It was a sold-out arena with 5,000 people.
“It felt like there was 20,000 people there. The crowd was insane.”
Callum Walsh is eager to fight in Ireland next. (AP Photo/David Becker)
White has a particular vision for the sport: competitive fights and not being beholden to preserving fighters’ unbeaten records.
That appeals to Walsh, even though as an unbeaten fighter he’ll be one of the boxers risking his ‘0’.
“I think Zuffa’s bringing the real mentality to boxing. You just fight and who cares if you’re undefeated or not. The main thing is that you’re putting on good fights that people want to see. You’re not putting on 10 of the worst fights ever, 10 fights where you know exactly who’s going to win,” Walsh said.
“Zuffa’s putting on 50-50 fights from the first fight of the night to the main event.
“It’s going to be real fights the whole way through.
“At least if you’re fighting tough fights and you’re undefeated then it means something,” he added. “Undefeated means nothing if you’re fighting fellas that shouldn’t even be in the ring with you.
“In Zuffa undefeated will mean a lot more than it does in boxing these days.”
Zuffa’s approach will be perceived as a challenge to boxing’s traditional model. Walsh is one of the first boxers to have worked with White, one of combat sport’s most powerful figures who has a long track record in MMA as head of the UFC. The Irishman is convinced White can have a significant impact on boxing.
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Andy Scott takes a closer look at Zuffa and the ambitious plans they have for boxing on Sky Sports.
“I think Dana’s the right man to do it,” Walsh said. “It doesn’t matter what you do, everyone’s going to criticise it until it’s popular.
“Especially Dana coming into boxing, people are going to be not used to it, I suppose, and not really seeing what he’s trying to do.”
Walsh does want to win a new Zuffa championship title. “If you want to be the best you have to fight the best. If you hold that title it will mean a lot more,” he said.
“At least I’ll know if I get there I went the hard way and I am the best in the division. Even for yourself as a fighter that should be what you want. You want to really know that you took the hard path and you are the best in the division. You hold that belt for a reason and it means a lot more.”
After 16 pro bouts, Walsh feels he is ready to box the best in the middleweight division now.
“They’re signing some big names, any of those guys, we can’t speculate, we just have to see what happens,” he said.
“I’m ready for anybody. I love to challenge myself, I love to fight and whoever they put in front of me, whether I beat them or not, the best thing with Zuffa Boxing is if I take a tough fight, I’ll be back.”
