Dennis McCann promises fireworks against John Chuwa
Top prospect Dennis McCann (9-0, 5KOs) is promising to turn up the heat when he takes on John Chuwa after applying the slow cooker across two tough eight-round encounters.
McCann, 20, after becoming only the second man in over 80 opponents to stop Brett Fidoe last August, was thrust into an altogether more forbidding arena against Pedro Matos and latterly Luis Moreno, with 16 solid rounds subsequently deposited into the bank.
The slick, skillful and spiteful McCann knows full well that rounds banked is experience and knowledge gained, but he would still like to revert to his spectacular self when he next takes to the ring, after a short break, on July 10 at the Royal Albert Hall.
He took himself out of consideration for recent shows with a view to recharging his batteries but, ultimately, only stayed out of the Queensberry iBox Gym for a matter of four days.
"I overcooked myself a little bit, to be honest with you," admitted the quick-witted southpaw. "That is the problem with me, I over-train, but I am ready to fight now and I can't wait to get in the ring."
This time, in his 10th fight as a professional, McCann would prefer not to still be trading when the final bell tolls.
"Listen, it is all about getting the wins, that is most important because you can't always entertain people. He (Moreno) was also a bit of a puncher and you don't punch with a puncher. I felt like I could have got him out of there, but I listened to the instructions from the corner and Al (Smith) was trying to hold me back a bit.
"He wouldn't let me off the leash!
"I was fighting to orders and I've got to listen to my coach because he has got me to where I am today.”
With McCann we had come to expect the unexpected with shots of spontaneous brilliance raining in from all angles. Against Moreno, in particular, he was textbook, although he insists his unpredictable nature remains and he joked that he would be "cocking a deaf 'un" to any notes of caution.
"No it hasn't gone and you just have to adapt to your opponent. You'd be a fool to punch with a puncher – who does that? – and you don't want to get caught because it only takes one shot and it could be game over. You can take out the kids who ain't punchers, but when you are fighting a puncher you don't want to swing with him.
"So I got the job done knowing I could have stopped him, but Al wouldn't let me. In this next fight, trust me, I am coming for the big knockout.
"The fun stuff hasn't gone, you know me, Dennis the Menace and I am coming for the big knockout next time.
"I got the rounds in though and bashed him up every round, dropping him once, so you can't ask for much more."
McCann, as he attracts more and more attention, is beginning to catch the eye of domestic rivals and both Andrew Cain and Liam Davies have mentioned his name in passing over recent weeks.
McCann gives short shrift to such small talk.
"You get people calling you out here and there, so it makes no difference to me. They want my name, all these prospects want my name, it is common sense. They probably look at my social media and everything else, see me getting the limelight, so they all want a piece of me.
"But do they really want a piece of me?
"They'll all name me but won't fight me. If they are my weight they can get it, but don't just say you are coming to my weight. I could say I am coming down to flyweight, but I am not coming down to flyweight, am I?
"So if they are at my weight and on my path I am happy to bash any of them up."
Arthur vs Faraci
Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight champion Lyndon Arthur (18-0, 12 KOs) headlines the July 10th Royal Albert Hall bill and makes the first defence of his WBO Inter-Continental title against Italian Davide Faraci (15-0, 7 KOs).
The Mancunian’s bitter rival Anthony Yarde (20-2, 19 KOs) faces unbeaten German Emin Atra (17-0, 12 KOs) in a non-title ten rounder.
Also on the bill WBO ranked number one Super-Middleweight Zach Parker (20-0, 14 KOs) will defend his WBO International belt against Uzbek Sherzod Khusanov (22-2-1, 10 KOs).
WBO ranked number four Super-Featherweight, Archie Sharp (19-0, 9 KOs) meets Nicaragua’s Marcio Soza (21-6-2, 12 KOs) with the vacant WBO Global championship on the line.
Elsewhere on the card, 2016 Olympian Muhammad Ali (2-0) will have his third professional assignment against Lee Glover (11-4, 3 KOs), with Lightweight KO-artist Sam Noakes (5-0, 5 KOs) and Light-Heavyweight former Olympic Youth champion Karol Itauma (2-0, 1 KO) also featuring.
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