Gavin McDonnell relishing opportunity of being support act this weekend says Dave Coldwell
McDonnell to shine on Frampton-Quigg card
The super-bantamweight division takes centre stage this weekend in Manchester as Carl Frampton finally squares off against Scott Quigg in a unification fight with the WBA Super and IBF belts both on the line.
Saturday is also a huge opportunity for Doncaster’s Gavin McDonnell to showpiece his skills in front of a box office audience when he takes on Panama’s Jorge Sanchez for the WBC silver super-bantamweight title, in what is also a world title eliminator for both boxers.
McDonnell’s trainer Dave Coldwell believes if his man wins in Manchester, he is very close to securing a world title shot in the near future.
He said: “It’s a huge fight for Gavin this weekend. Not only is it a shot at the silver title but it is also an eliminator with the WBC for the world title.
“The WBC champion Julio Ceja is promoted by Al Haymon in the States and they have a good relationship with Eddie Hearn so there is a strong chance of getting a voluntary if Gavin can beat Sanchez.”
Biggest night of McDonnell’s career
The Manchester Arena is set to be sold out this weekend for a big night of boxing, whilst millions are expected to tune in on Sky Sports Box Office for the bill. Coldwell believes this is the biggest night of his boxer’s career so far.
“Gavin’s not just on the undercard in Manchester but he is chief support to the main event so there is a lot of prestige towards that,” added Coldwell.
“All eyes are going to be on him and he’s going to enjoy that. As your fighter is trying to get to the top, it’s the kind of stuff you dream of. It only gets bigger when you are the main event on a big card.”
Sanchez travels to Manchester with an undefeated record that stands at 15-0-0 (9 Kos). It will be his first fight outside of Panama as a professional boxer. Coldwell has found it difficult to find many recordings of McDonnell’s opponent but he knows what to expect from the big hitter.
“There’s very limited exposure for Sanchez in Panama so it has been difficult finding coverage of him,” he continued.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if Gavin stopped the guy late into the fight.”
“What we do now is he can really punch. He’s got big power. We have been preparing Gavin from what we can see from the clips we have had, whilst at the same time preparing him for every eventuality.
“We’ve covered all bases. I believe if you can make your fighter the best he can be in every department, then whatever happens in a fight, your man can handle it.
“The guy is a fast starter. My only concern for Gavin is he is a slow starter. I’ll be hoping he is careful in the early rounds and does not give anything away. I then expect Gavin to take over mid-rounds and then really stamp his authority late on. It wouldn’t surprise me if Gavin stopped the guy late into the fight.”
Gavin working his way to elite level
With Frampton and Quigg both excelling in the super-bantamweight division, Coldwell has not ruled out further big domestic bouts in this division in the near future and he hopes that Gavin can work his way up to that level.
“Frampton and Quigg are another level above Gavin at the moment but what you have to remember is he has not had anywhere near as much experience as those lads,” Coldwell claims.
“He does not have an extensive amateur pedigree so he is learning on the job. He is making big strides with each fight though. In a year or so he could be ready for that Frampton/Quigg bracket.”
For a full list of odds on Saturday’s exciting card in Manchester, take a look at our dedicated boxing section, including the odds on Frampton vs Quigg and McDonnell vs Sanchez.
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