“King” Callum Walsh cruised to a 10-round points decision over three-time world title contender Carlos Ocampo at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas last Friday to remain undefeated and on track for a world title shot himself.
The Corkman, ranked #4 by the International Boxing Federation [IBF], #5 by the World Boxing Council [WBC], and #9 by the World Boxing Organization [WBO], was adjudged to have been knocked down when his gloves touched the canvas in the sixth round following a punch to his right shoulder. But there was no damage and no change in the fight’s rhythm that Walsh continued to control.
He won the bout by scores of 98-90 [twice] and 97-91 on the three judges’ score card while upping his ledger to 16-0, 11 KOs. Ocampo, a knockout artist whose three previous defeats had been to world champions Errol Spence Jr., Sebastian Fundora and Tim Tsyzu, dropped to 38-4 [26 KOs].
For most of the contest, the main event of Zuffa Boxing’s inaugural show, Walsh outworked and outpunched his man, landing quick hooks on the durable Ocampo.
The Los Angeles-based Irish star, who’s 24, was coming off another dominating performance in his last outing – a 10 round-round unanimous points decision over the previously undefeated Fernando Vargas Jr. in Las Vegas last September.
He’d have been elated with a knockout win over Ocampo but acknowledged the challenge posed by the highly seasoned Mexican.
“I'm never happy with the performance unless I knock them out. [But] I feel like getting the 10 rounds in is good, you know,” he said in a post-fight interview on Paramount +. “Me getting 10 rounds again, it's good for me. The opponents are getting tougher and tougher. [Ocampo] has been in there with the best of them. He's only lost to the best of them. And yeah, it was a good experience. It was a good night and all round am happy to get the win. “
On his conditioning, Walsh said:
“I was very happy with my conditioning. I wasn't breathing heavy between rounds. We worked very hard for this camp. I was happy with that. [Ocampo] made it very difficult for [Sebastian] Fundora, you know, in [their] fight. [So] I was happy with my performance.”
CONNOR KO
In Tampa, Florida, middleweight Connor “The Kid” Coyle stopped Iowa’s Pachino Hill at 2:25 of the eighth and final stanza at the Bryan Glazer Family JCC Auditorium.
The unbeaten Derryman improved to 22-0 [10 KOs], while Hill's record dropped to 8-11-2 [win, loss, draw] with 6 KOs.
“I’m happy to get another win, and knock out,” Coyle told the Echo. “We’ll have some big news to [announce] over the next week or two, and I’m looking forward to a big year.”
Coyle was returning to action for the first time since his fight with Vito Mielnicki Jr. at Madison Square Garden 11 months ago. It was initially ruled a majority draw. But after adverse results from his post-fight lab test, the New York State Athletic Commission ruled the bout a no-contest and suspended Coyle.
GARDEN-BOUND
Bobby McGuire’s FDNY boxing club hosts the third annual International Battle of the Badges at Madison Square Garden on March 6. Among the fighters the firemen will take on are four from Ireland – Garda members Darragh Gilroy and Eoin O’Connor, and the Tipperary Arms Fire & Rescue duo of Paddy Clavin and Dean Griffen.
Tickets, pegged at $50, $70 and $120 for ringside, are on sale at www.fdnyboxing.org.
Call 917 282-8727 for corporate or business sponsorship opportunities, or email Bobby McGuire at fdnyboxing@gmail.com.
