The 25 year-old, who has 18 wins, one draw, and one loss so far in the pro ranks, decided the time was right to make a move across the Atlantic to be closer to his family and informed WBN that he left Oscar De La Hoya’s outfit on excellent terms.
Kavanagh has now joined forces with UK trainers Mark and Jimmy Tibbs as the Dubliner plots future outings in the UK and Ireland.
“I was basically just reached that my position in my career where I felt the need to change, so I’ve moved back to the UK and changed trainers from Joel Diaz to the Tibbs camp with Mark and Jimmy,” Kavanagh exclusively told World Boxing News.
“It’s a big change from Indio, California back to the UK, but It has not stemmed from anything bad, and it’s only to be closer to my family. I have a three-month-old baby, and I am looking to be closer to her and continue with my boxing career at the same time.
“Joel Diaz and I are still on friendly terms, and I still speak to him, so maybe one day down the road, my position will change, and I can go back to Indio for my camps – who knows?
“The switch also means that I am no longer working with Golden Boy Promotions which came as part of my decision to return to this side of the Atlantic, and I’d like to thank Golden Boy for what they have done with me in my boxing career and Robert Diaz in particular.”
Having had a short time to adjust, Kavanagh is raring to go following a victory in March against Miguel Zamudio and will certainly have no shortage of promotional offers for his next fight. With three wins on the bounce since suffering his solitary career defeat to Daniel Ruiz in 2013, Kavanagh has already set his sights on fighting in front of his hometown fans to build on his recent successes.
“Fighting closer to home is a big plus for me as I have never boxed on home soil,” he said.
“I’ve been on the west coast of America from the very start of my career, so I’m looking forward to boxing at home and helping to bring more boxing back to Dublin,” added Kavanagh.
With Anthony Crolla, Ricky Burns, Terry Flanagan, Derry Mathews, and Kevin Mitchell already involved in a bustling UK 135lb division, Kavanagh will be a welcome addition to the fold and go straight into the lightweight mix.
