NO PRESSURE ON JJ AHEAD OF ‘LIFE-CHANGING’ BOUT
JJ McDONAGH insists that he is ready to grasp a ‘life-changing opportunity’ when he steps through the ropes to face Chris Eubank junior in the King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia this evening. The Mullingar southpaw, who has record of 16-4 with 8 Kos, says that he feels no pressure ahead of the biggest bout of his pro career. ‘All the pressure is on Eubank. There’s none on me. I have nothing to lose and this is a fight that could literally change my life,’ says the 32-year-old, who was only offered the bout a fortnight ago after Luke Blackledge withdrew. McDonagh’s clash with Eubank is the main support bout to the eagerly-anticipated World Boxing Super Series supermiddleweight final between George Groves and Callum Smith and will be broadcast live on ITV Box Office. And McDonagh knows that if he can cause a sensation and beat Eubank, it will open plenty of doors for him. ‘This is a great opportunity for me. I had to grab it. McDonagh and Eubank have shared a ring before, with the pair engaged in a short sparring session last year before the Englishman made a defence of the IBO super-middleweight title that he lost to Groves in a bloody battle earlier this year. ‘I sparred three rounds with him, but you can’t really read anything into such a short sparring session. But I think I do have a feel for the type of boxer that he is, my brother Paddy (the Irish light-heavyweight champion) was sparring with him at the same time. He had seven rounds with him.’ There’s a sense that Eubank could underestimate McDonagh, as this bout was viewed as simply a stepping stone for the secondgeneration star to rebuild his career after the defeat to Groves. But taking the Mullingar man lightly will be a dangerous strategy. McDonagh has had success at accepting bouts at short notice before. He agreed to fight the previously-undefeated Jake Ball at the Wembley Arena show where Katie Taylor made her professional debut with less than a week’s notice. He ended up shocking the boxing world by knocking out Ball. ‘Taking bouts on short notice has worked before. I don’t feel any pressure.’ ‘There are all sorts of possibilities if things go well for me. I could fight the winner of GrovesSmith or I could even get a rematch with Eubank. It is the best opportunity of my career.’