Conlan expects to be a force in the Windy City
THE Mully and Hanley morning drive is a staple of many early commutes in Chicago. Hosted by two veteran sportswriters, Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley, it wakes the Windy City up with heated discussion on their precious Cubs, Bulls and Bears. This morning, those listeners might be a bit taken aback to hear the dulcet tones of a Belfast accent. But they are certain to be charmed when Michael Conlan appears on the radio sportstalk show, ahead of his second professional bout against Mexican, Alfredo Chanez, in Chicago’s UIC Pavillon. One may question the wisdom of chatting to Chicago’s commuters only a few hours before he has to step into the ring, but it is clearly aimed at shifting a few more tickets. Regardless, Conlan is unlikely to have any trouble with Chanez in a featherweight bout that is scheduled to go six rounds, as the Mexican, who has a record of 4-4, has never fought outside his native country. He has also lost his last two bouts — although he has never been stopped in his pro career. ‘I have watched a few of his fights, it should be handy enough,’ Conlan stated earlier this week. ‘Obviously, he’s going to be tough, he’s a Mexican fighter and he won’t lie down but I’ll be up for it and ready to rock!’ While this bout hasn’t generated the same publicity as his pro debut in Madison Square Garden on St Patrick’s Day, Conlan has caused a stir within the city. Apart from this morning’s scheduled radio appearance, the Chicago
Tribune also ran a feature that, unsurprisingly, focused on Conlan’s irate reaction to getting robbed by the judges at the Rio Olympics. It was also revealed in the
Tribune that Bob Arum, Conlan’s promoter, had to swallow a bit of pride to take his featherweight prospect to the Irish community in Chicago. Arum has an uneasy relationship with the city, dating back to 1981 when he pulled one of Marvin Hagler’s fights from the Chicago Stadium. ‘I think Chicago still hates me,’ Arum said. However, it shows how much store that the 85year-old promoter is placing in Conlan. And the plan is to touch down in cities with big Irish communities across America and beyond. If as expected, he makes short work of Chanez this evening, Arum has confirmed that his next fight will be on the undercard of the Manny Pacquio-Jeff Horn world title fight in Brisbane on July 2. Top Rank’s Carl Moretti says there is interest from all over in Conlan. ‘Boston, New York and Chicago will be the best places to host Michael’s fights, but we are fielding calls from a lot of venues all over the US,’ Moretti said.
Conlan v Chanez is live on BoxNation tonight on the eir sports pack or buy now at www.boxnation. com. RTÉ 2 will show a highlights package tomorrow evening