Can Pat McCormack emulate Frankie Gavin and double that very short list of male world champions from Great Britain?
We could be about to find out.
The 23-year-old is one of THE prospects for gold in the welterweight division at the 2019 World Championships in Russia which close on September 21.
Seeded two, the Birtley ABC star will open his campaign on Monday against the winner of today’s preliminary round match between Ireland’s Aidan Walsh and Miroslav Kapuler.
Should Walsh see off the Israeli in Ekaterinburg, it will set up a repeat of last year’s Commonwealth Games final in the Gold Coast, where McCormack won via a unanimous decision.
Since then, Pat has won the European Union title and the European Games, not to mention other high-class international events, but this, he admits is a step up.
“It’s more difficult to win an amateur world title than it is a pro one,” he told punch-lines.
“Only one British man has won a world amateur title and I want to join Frankie Gavin in that class.
“I think there is a jump between the Europeans and the worlds, you have to factor in the Cubans, Kazakhs and Uzbeks.
“It was brilliant to win the European Games gold but there are a lot of good fighters outside Europe.”
Indeed there is. In the top eight seeds, all but two are from outside Europe.
Cuba’s Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo, a long name with a long list of honours is the number one and should the competition go as per seedinmg, he would meet number four, Kazakhstan’s Abialkhan Zhussupov in the semis.
McCormack has number three seed, Bobo-Usman Baturov, in his side of the draw.
Pat and the GB squad have been to Kazakhstan in the summer for a training camp where he says he acquitted himself well.
Was there a temptation for the Washington welterweight to not show his full hand, so to speak, before this major tournament?
“It was good sparring, there were probably four or five Kazakhs desperately trying to get in the ring next with me after I did each spar,” he said. “I never hold back, what’s the point of doing that?
“If rivals want to watch me they could just type my name into You Tube, there’s no point me holding stuff back.
“There’s no reason to spar if you are going to do that. You’d just be messing on.”
There is no messing around for the Graeme Rutherford-trained boxer, he wants to get on with joining Gavin in the GB gold corner.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Ian Horrocks
