O'Donnell relishing Commonwealth opportunity

Hennessy Sports11th February, 2009

John O'Donnell says he's ready to make a real statement by ripping the Commonwealth Welterweight title from Craig Watson at the York Hall, London on April 11th. The 23-year-old from Shepherds Bush is relishing his all southpaw clash with Watson and believes it's the fight that will propel his career to the next level.

"I've already held the English title and now this shot at the Commonwealth title has come along," said O'Donnell who has won all but one of his 21 pro fights. "I believe I can go all the way but I want to do things traditionally and work my way up through the titles."

O'Donnell had his sights on a British title shot but a planned eliminator for the Lonsdale belt fell through last December with Midlands's boxer Young Mutley pulling out of their scheduled clash. "I had trained really hard for the Mutley fight and was over at the Breaffy House in Ireland at the Carl Froch training camp.

"I was firing on all cylinders for it and then on the week of the fight he pulled out so it was a sickener but my promoter Mick Hennessy's got me a straight shot now at the Commonwealth title so I'm over the moon."

O'Donnell isn't underestimating the challenge in front of him and says he has a lot of respect for Watson. "I've known about him since he put Amir Khan on the canvas in the amateurs and in my opinion he was robbed of a stoppage win that night. I watched his last fight when he beat Matthew Hatton to win the Commonwealth title. That was a good performance and he's a strong, tough kid and a southpaw like myself."

Facing a fellow southpaw isn't an issue for O'Donnell who enjoyed a glorious amateur career that saw him win Junior Olympic Gold, Junior Four Nations Gold, and a pair of Junior ABA titles.

"It's never bothered me fighting southpaws, in fact I beat Stuart Elwell to win the English title and he's a southpaw," recalled O'Donnell. "I had some good sparring sessions with Junior Witter as well at the Froch training camp in Ireland and he can switch between southpaw and orthodox. You can't get much better than sparring a former World champ and Junior's a class fighter.

"Since I heard this fight was in the pipeline I've already racked up quite a few rounds in the gym in the last few weeks but I'll probably look at getting in some extra southpaw sparring now as the fight gets closer."

O'Donnell will be performing in front of the ITV 4 cameras on April 11th and he's certainly proving quite popular with the cameras recently. "Before my last fight in Ireland I had to do a photo shoot and I've just done another one for the next issue of Arena magazine. I'm sure I'll get some stick from the lads in the gym but I said I'd try my hand at it anyway.

"Who knows I might be able to pack in the boxing, the modelling is certainly easier than getting punched in the face for a living!" joked O'Donnell. "It was good fun and I enjoyed it but for the next photo shoot I want to have that Commonwealth title around my waist."

Promoter Mick Hennessy is confident that O'Donnell will shine on April 11th. "I've always believed that John is destined for big things and this is a major opportunity for him to shine. It's a cracking domestic match and a quality Commonwealth title fight. You look at fights like Wayne Elcock and Matthew Macklin for the British title next month and O'Donnell and Watson and these are the kind of matchups that do justice to the great history of those titles."

O'Donnell's Hennessy Sports stable mate Lenny Daws will provide the chief support at the York Hall on April 11th with further details of the undercard to be announced shortly.

Tickets are on sale from the Hennessy Sports Ticketline Box Office on 0844 888 4402 or via www.ticketline.co.uk