Corey McConnell: “Australia is screaming for the best to fight each other”

 
WORLD RATED super featherweight Corey McConnell is eager to mix it up with the biggest names in the country.

 
With Australian boxing in the midst of a purple patch domestically having had two cards televised live on free-to-air television, McConnell (15-1-1, 2 KOs) would like to fight on the big stage sooner rather than later.

 
The Gold Coast resident was in the midst of a highly publicised negotiation with former IBF featherweight champion Billy Dib. But with that fight off the table, McConnell is eager to face fellow Aussie Will Tomlinson.

 
Tomlinson, 29, who has one fight left on his existing contract with promotional giant Golden Boy Promotions, returned to Melbourne for the first time in over two years, outpointing Adones Aguelo live on Channel 9 in August.

 
“The Australian public were asked which local fight they wanted to see and it was clear they wanted to see a fight between Billy and I,” said McConnell in an interview with Aus-Boxing.

 
“The fight was looking promising, but due to Billy’s tragic loss, fight negotiations were stopped,”

 
“With that said, it’s been no secret I’ve been wanting to fight Will for a long time,” McConnell explained.

 
“We tried to make this fight happen before he went to America,”

 
“Australia is screaming for the best (Australian fighters) to fight each other, Aussie versus Aussie – and now Will is back in Australia – so let’s fight,”

 
The 30-year-old, who currently holds a lofty IBF #9 rating at super featherweight, has fought only once this year, scoring a first-round stoppage over Prayoot Yaijam in May. But as McConnell explains, it’s been against his will.

 
“It would have been nice to have been more active this year,” McConnell continued.

 
“Unfortunately an injury kept us out for a while and with the Dib fight falling through it has slowed us up,”

 
“The inactivity doesn’t bother us too much. We had a twelve month layoff and came back to stop the IBF #10 world rated super featherweight Ryan Sermona, who held the WBC International super featherweight title at the time,”

 
“We keep fit and active in the gym. This is boxing and you never know what’s around the corner.”

 
As it stands, McConnell is a promotional free-agent, placing him in a relatively easy position in terms of negotiation. While no formal discussions have taken place, McConnell is hoping someone will come to the table.

 
“The Australian public want to see the best Australian fighters mixing it up,” he concluded. “I want to give the Australian public what they want,”

 
“It would be a great Aussie versus Aussie fight and I’m sure the Australian public would love to see it on televised live on Channel 9 and on free-to-air,”

 
 
Photo: Milos Lekovic/Southside Studios