Pat McCormack could be already be among the most talented pound-for-pound fighters in the UK.
An Olympic silver medallist, McCormack was a stunning amateur boxer. He’s a flawless 8-0 so far as a professional and in his most recent fight stopped Miguel Parra in the ninth round.
McCormack’s aim is to be recognised as one of the most gifted boxers in the country.
“100 per cent. That’s the aim,” McCormack told Sky Sports. “When you’re first starting off you’re fighting lower level to what I was fighting as an amateur so you’re getting the knockouts, you’re looking good. I think when the competition goes up you can show a little bit more. It brings out the best of you as well.”
Trainer Ben Davison has worked with an array of elite boxers; Tyson Fury, Josh Taylor and Anthony Joshua among them, but he sees McCormack already among the top tier.
“I’ve worked with some really high-level guys and he’s way up there, no doubt in my mind,” Davison told Sky Sports. “I don’t think there’s a welterweight in the world, if he was to share the ring with, that he’d feel out of place. I’ve felt like that for a long time.”
Olympic silver medallist McCormack was one of GB’s best amateur boxers
Davison thinks in a year’s time McCormack will be challenging for world titles in the competitive welterweight division.
“It’s just a case of building his profile, getting him some experience of the later rounds, which is something we were really pleased with in the last fight because the last opponent thought he was going to catch Pat up late, but Pat actually broke him down. The fight went the other way,” Davison said.
“Just gaining rounds, gaining experience, building his profile to the point where we can bring the right opponents for him. We can entice the people that have got the titles over for Pat to take them off them.
“We’ll see. This time next year we should be talking about a world title fight.”
That’s what McCormack wants. “I’d like to win British, Commonwealth, European and world titles, I’d like to be a world champion and set my family up,” he said. “Three or four fights [before a world title]? A few more steps up in competition.
“Obviously there’s a few more boxes that need to be ticked, a few more steps up in competition and when we’re ready for that, it’ll come.”
The new wave of British boxing stars
McCormack wants to be part of a new wave of British boxing stars, one of whom he trains alongside at Davison’s gym in young heavyweight Moses Itauma.
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Highlights of Moses Itauma’s spectacular victory against Dillian Whyte in Riyadh. Coverage courtesy of DAZN and Queensberry Promotions
“The gym’s buzzing at the minute, everyone’s flying. It’s a good environment, everyone’s pushing on,” McCormack said.
“I think Moses is going to be flying the flag, I think he could be a generational talent. He’s good enough to be the pound-for-pound No 1. I think he’s going to be flying the flag for England.
“Where he’s at at his age, in three or four years, I don’t think anyone’s going to be able to stand with him. There’s a lot of steps along the way but he’s flying at the minute. So I think he’ll be the one flying the flag.”