Callum’s Wackadoo power!

By James Blears

Pat is a popular name in Ireland, but when called out, so many fighters from the Emerald Isle knuckle down and come up with Mitt!

Leftie Callum Walsh rocked the roll of Five Grand, on a Dana While documentary entitled: “Lookin For a Fight,” set in South Boston. Let’s hand it to Dana…this bunch of fives challenge  led to a High Fives highlight!  The aim was to wallop the speed ball and see the clock light up with a mighty power reading.

The record stood at a meaty 855 pounds per square inch.  Your man from Cork, unleashed a mighty blow and upped it to an extraordinary 977. But before the five thousand dollars was placed into the palm of his eager powerful outstretched hand, more than two hundred hopefuls slammed, bammed, hammered and whammed, trying with all their might to improve on that phenomenal score.   They really put their backs into this, trying for the greenbacks.  One punter edged close to nudge 945. It was high time to bring in the big guns, in the formidable shape and form of fellow towering Irishman Kevin McBride. The six foot six “Clones Colossus” who once defeated “Iron” Mike Tyson, stepped up and delivered a massive right…but the clock stopped at 901.

The late great Evening Standard Scribe Reg Gutteridge once aptly described Ingemar Johannson’s left as akin to a New York Traffic Cop gone bananas. But his right was might!  It was dubbed Ingo’s Bingo! More than half a century later, twenty two year young Callum, has the power of a shillelagh in both hands. Especially his southpaw left, which leaves opponents bereft!

This pungent pugilistic uncorked nectar  from Cork Ireland, is being nurtured though never cosseted nor mollycoddled,  by International Hall of Fame Coach Freddie Roach, at the Wild Card Gym and guided by Tom Loeffler of 360 Promotions.  “King” Callum’s record stands at 7-0, 6KO’s. In his most recent fight he stopped wily and experienced Carson Jones 46-16-3, 31 KO’s in four blistering rounds.

He didn’t panic and showed maturity beyond his years, when a round earlier an accidental clash of heads opened a small cut over his right eye, later expertly stitched with six sutures by renown plastic surgeon Dr Pearlman Hicks, who once closed Vitali Klitschko’s torn left eyelid with sixty three stitches, following Lennox Lewis’ corkscrew style jarring right. No scar tissue  and not even a blemish now remains on the visages of either. Their good looks remain intact!

That’s the mark of this expert’s flawless needlepoint!

Callum is honing his right lead, which he plans to unleash and collar “El Pitbull” Juan Jose Velasco 24-4, 15 KO’s.  Defending his WBC US Silver super-welterweight belt for the first time, Callum wants to bid a fond Buenas Noches to the fighter from Buenos Aires, on August 26^th at the Commerce Casino, LA, broadcast globally on UFC Fight Pass. His original opponent Livan Navarro had to withdraw due to a hand injury.

Tom Loeffler said: “Juan Jose is actually more experienced and more dangerous and a nice step up, for Callum to learn. Callum has a background rich with a wealth of amateur experience and coupled with Hall of Fame Trainer Freddie Roach, we definitely want to put him on the fast track, especially as every fight is being televised on UFC Fight Pass as the main event. Callum and Freddie haven’t turned down one opponent that we’ve suggested. The caliber of opponent increases with each fight. All in all, it’s one of those learning experiences in building Callum into the star that we know he can be.”

Tom who has many years of experience in boxing is more than impressed with Callum: “Callum has the complete package. When I started working with Triple G he was thirty years old. I started working with Callum when he was twenty one. He has the punching power, the amateur experience, the professional style, the poise in the ring but Callum also had the charisma that you need to become an attraction and a marketable boxer.  He has a lot of followers on social media. He has that brash Irish style and attitude. He welcomes carrying the flag of Ireland on his shoulders. Callum’s eager to lead the charge to become the next Irish world champion.

“I really think Callum will be ready to fight for the world title by the end of next year. After this upcoming fight, he’ll fight once more this year and a few more, and then by the end of next year I really think he’ll be ready. Callum is one of those fighters, who generates a lot of interest, from television revenue, tickets, sponsorship. He’s selling out the events. What we’ve got planned for him in November, will make a lot of people take notice!”