By Jonathan Brown
This Saturday, Donagh ‘Irish Kid’ Keary will make his home debut as a professional fighter, appearing on the undercard of the much-anticipated IBF World Welterweight rematch between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan at Belfast’s Windsor Park stadium.
The Castlewellan native will take on Middlesbrough-based fighter Caine Singh in his fourth pro bout since making the transition from an amateur in November of last year. He has been in fight camp for 12 weeks, training twice a day from Monday to Friday, with running and strength and conditioning sessions on Saturdays.
Training camp has featured tough sparring sessions in Spain, England, and Scotland, with WBC Intercontinental Youth champion Marcus Sutherland and Australian Olympic bronze medallist Charlie Senior among his sparring partners. Training has now tapered, as the former St Malachy’s High School student readies himself for the four-rounder in Belfast.
Several boxers turned down the chance to take the fight before Singh—who will meet Keary at a 124lbs catchweight—was announced as his opponent on Monday afternoon. The 28-year-old Singh is a natural featherweight with a record of two wins, seven losses, and two draws since turning pro in 2023. The Keary camp believe he’s a “strong, go-forward boxer” who’s “tailor-made” for their fighter’s style, while the man himself is confident of coping with whatever his opponent brings to the ring on Saturday.
“As an amateur with over 400 fights, I’ve fought every style, so you kind of know just looking at a fighter what to do when you’re in there—you can figure it out after 20 seconds,” Keary, speaking from the BoxRoom gym in Castlewellan, explained.
Having made his professional debut at Madison Square Garden back in March, Keary can’t wait to step out at the National Stadium in Belfast and dismissed any notion of feeling the pressure.
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