Trainer predicts greatness for Sutherland

DARREN SUTHERLAND is not just going to be a world champion — he is going to be one of the great world champions — according to his trainer Brian Lawrence.

Lawrence was himself a leading amateur before becoming trainer to such notables as WBO heavyweight champion, Henry Akinwande and the former British super middleweight title holder, James Cook.

He was speaking as Sutherland warmed up for another vicious sparring session in the plush surroundings of the Real Fight Club in the heart of London’s Square Mile where the high rollers of the financial scene work out.

Sutherland launches his professional boxing career this night week when he shapes up to Georgi Iliev taped before a capacity crowd at the Helix on Dublin City University Campus with millions more watching the fight live on Sky TV.

“He reminds me a lot of Gerald McClelland in his early days — maybe a little bit of Mike McCallum — he’s got everything but I think he is going to be his own person,” Lawrence beams.

“I think Darren Sutherland is going to be one of those. I don’t think he will emulate any of them.

“He is going to be a special one that later on we will talk about in the same way as we are now talking about Mike McCallum, Sugar Ray Leonard and those types of fighters.

He admitted he was surprised at the progress which Sutherland has made over the past three weeks.

“He is at a very high level for someone who has not had a pro fight yet — he is equivalent to someone who has had about 12 pro fights behind him. That’s how he is to me.”

Sutherland can’t wait for next week’s debut before the home fans but he is not the only one excited about the fight.

“Personally, I am excited too,” Lawrence admitted. “While obviously I have an input, Frank selects the opponent but I think he is going to roll over whoever you put in front of him.

Sutherland was watching the clock as he went through his warm-up routine. There was no sign of his sparring partner for the week — a light heavyweight from the North of England named Carl Bilks.

Bilks has had a hard week — he quit after just five rounds the previous day — and Sutherland is hoping he can get three more days out of him.

Lawrence is amazed at how quickly Sutherland has adapted to the pro game pointing out that he is very strong, he can punch and he has a very good technique.

“I have been showing him a few things and he has picked everything up very quickly,” he said. “He has slotted in perfectly.”

“He is into the sports science and you can use it. Personally with sports science I take what I think is good. What I don’t think is good I kick out. He is well educated in that department and that is very good.

“But I emphasise bag work, road work and sparring. I told him they are the three fundamentals that you cannot substitute.

“He wanted to run on the running machine. That was out the window straight away. I said ‘you got to do the hard road work or I’ll be picking you up off the canvas’.”

“You can be as strong as you want — you are strong in the amateurs and it does not affect you so much because it is a shorter distance but in the pro world it will catch up with you in the seventh, eighth, ninth, 10th, 11th, 12th round it will definitely catch up with you.

“You have got to do the road work. There is no substitute. We run early in the morning — 4am, 5am — because we train at 2pm in the afternoon. That is how a professional fighter lives — he lives that way. We run early in the morning, you get a little rest when you come back and then train in the afternoon.”

Meanwhile Dubliner Paul Hyland could be in line for a shock crack at European bantamweight champion Ian Napa.

Hyland, who has won 12 of his 13 contests, is set to challenge the Englishman if he defeats fellow Dubliner Eugene Heagney on next Thursday night’s bill at the Helix where the Irish champion and Heagney meet in a six rounder.

Promoter Frank Maloney said Napa has a defence lined up next month, but after that it could be Hyland’s chance.

“I think Ian is the best bantamweight in Europe by a long way, but Paul is one of the rising contenders and a serious threat,” he said.

“If Paul keeps improving his chance to challenge for the European title will come sooner rather than later.

“Napa takes on all-comers and what a night it would be if Paul faced Ian with Darren Sutherland boxing on the same bill.”

Hyland, 24, was based in England early in his professional career but is settled back in Ireland. He lifted the national super-bantamweight crown in July, outpointing Marc Callaghan.