Gary O’Sullivan has further reflected on his knockout loss to David Lemieux and told WBN he would pursue a rematch after he campaigns at light-middleweight.
In an exclusive interview with WBN, ‘Spike’ outlined his decision to head south to 154 pounds.
“I’ve reflected on it – I should never have been at middleweight, really. Packie Collins, my coach, has been telling me for years that I should be at light middleweight, and I stayed (at the higher weight),” O’Sullivan exclusively told World Boxing News.
“The opportunity arose as a middleweight when I won the area title back in 2009. I was a light middleweight, and I moved up and won the title. Then I was just seen as a middleweight.
“Frank Warren signed me, and being there, I fought Billy Joe Saunders, so the opportunities came that way.”
The Lemieux fight on the Canelo v Golovkin undercard resulted in a first-round KO in favor of Lemieux was less than three minutes of fast-paced action.
In an exciting fight, O’Sullivan had his own success but got caught by a left hook which shortly ended the fight.
Reviewing his own effort, O’Sullivan told WBN: “I think if we fought again 99 more times that wouldn’t happen, even though he was heavier than me, I don’t think he would beat me.
“I felt very confident in there, and it’s a fight I’d like to have a rematch for before the end of my career.”
For his next step forward, O’Sullivan will move on from the Lemieux fight. His first foray at light-middleweight comes against Gabor Gorbics on Friday night in Castlebar.
“I’m going to campaign there now. Golden Boy has plans to fight for the WBO light-middleweight title in 2019 against Jaime Munguia. That’s if he’s still the champion because he may move up to middleweight and vacate it.”
“I’ve got my first fight back at light-middleweight on Friday night. It’s just a comeback fight against Gabor Gorbics, and I’m not taking him for granted.
“I’ve learned in the past from other fighters such as my teammate Stephen Ormond that these guys can beat you when they’ve got a puncher’s chance,” O’Sullivan pointed out.
The weight difference between the two on fight night was clear and a major talking point. With his new campaign at light middleweight, O’Sullivan would be reluctant to consider any other fights at the middleweight limit.
LUCKY
“More or less, I’d move back up for him to get revenge. I fully believe I’m the better fighter than the fighter I have to beat. I’m the superior boxer for sure than he is.
“I’d like to set the record straight. He’s the only man to knock me down, and it’s horrible to say it, but he got lucky.
“There’s no shame really in getting lucky because obviously he’s practiced that punch. He’s probably thrown that punch a thousand times over in his career, but in that particular instance, I watched it back and reviewed it.
“He had his eyes closed, and my coach described it perfectly that he threw it blind. He just threw it and hoped for the best. It landed.
“I hurt him possibly about three times just with the jab. Well, two jabs and a left hook to the body. He let out a big roar, and he was huffing and puffing. The fight had only been on for two minutes.
“It showed that he had to make weight a lot. He came into the fight about 18 pounds heavier than I was. It worked out that way that night, but I think it could have been his detriment had the fight progressed.
“I thought I had it, and in my mind that it was easy, I was going to finish him in five rounds. And that I was actually going to end his career.
“I thought that, to be honest, because if he got beat by me that night, then it would obviously be the end of the road for him,” he concluded.
Chandler Waller is a staff writer for World Boxing News. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerWaller
