The boom times might well be back for Irish boxing.
Hours after his old pal and Ireland teammate Paddy Barnes inked a management deal with Macklin's Gym Marbella, former World amateur champion and 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Michael Conlan confirmed that he has inked a deal with Top Rank Promotions in the US, in what is believed to be the biggest sign-on in Irish boxing history.
Conlan will fight predominantly out of the States, but has also signed a management deal with MGM which could potentially see him fight alongside Barnes and his brother, Commonwealth super-flyweight champion Jamie Conlan, in the trio's hometown of Belfast in 2017. Conlan will fight six times next year in total, with one of those fights guaranteed to be in Ireland.
His debut, however, will arrive in the States where Bob Arum and Top Rank will be keen to parade their marquee recruitment, who wowed the boxing world with a stunning attack on the ramshackle shit-show organisation that is the AIBA following his nonsensical Olympic exit in Rio.
And where better to kick off his ascent to the top of the pro game than the Big Apple on a special weekend in the Irish calendar?
According to ESPN's Dan Rafael, Conlan is "slated to make his pro debut in March on St. Patrick’s Day weekend at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York."
Had good interview with @mickconlan11 on his signing with @trboxing. His goal: To be 3-weight world champ & greatest Irish fighter ever.
— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) September 19, 2016
Michael Conlan, the 2016 Irish Olympic medal favorite whose elimination in the quarterfinals of the bantamweight... https://t.co/Nt5rz6SzV6
— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) September 19, 2016
Now that's what you'd describe as a special professional debut, and the perfect venue and date to make your bow Stateside - with hoards of bellowing Irish fans guaranteed to be packed into the original Mecca of boxing.
What's more, for Irish sports junkies, that fight would likely fall on Saturday March 18th, the same weekend as the club All-Ireland finals and just a matter of hours after Ireland host England in a potential Six Nations decider at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Joe Schmidt's men welcome the old enemy across the Irish Sea for the final game of the entire championship, with kick-off scheduled for 17:00.
Conlan's fight in New York would likely take place in the wee hours of Sunday, but given it will be on the East Coast and potentially propping up what will be a major card, we could be looking at a midnight or 1am start as opposed to a 5am Vegas job.
Boil the kettle, lads, and make sure your fridge is well stocked - it's going to be some weekend.
