Steven Cairns is hoping to secure a Cork homecoming fight later this year after recently taking his professional record to 6-0.
The 21-year-old defeated experienced fighter Michal Dufek in Uzbekistan on June 16 after a two-week sparring camp in America where Vergil Ortiz Jr, who fights Lithuanian Eimantas Stanionis for the WBA World Welterweight title on July 8, was among the fighters he did rounds with.
Cairns, who was accompanied to the Central Asian nation by his dad, trainer Dave Coldwell and sports scientist Tommy Munday, stopped Dufek inside the first round in what was another impressive performance.
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And 'The Irish Takeover' is hoping the stoppage wins keep on coming as he aims for a big second half of the year and an even bigger 2024.
He told the Irish Mirror: "Everybody I go in with, I want to take them out. I want them asleep on the floor. I hope they're safe and they're okay afterwards, but I want them asleep. Obviously that's just the winning mentality in me.
"Every fight now that's what I want. I want to go in there, make a statement and knock everyone out.
"Boxing purists will appreciate winning on points, but everyone else just wants to see someone get knocked out, although it is very important to get the rounds in as well because obviously going into title fights and all that, you can't be knocking everyone out in the first round and then going straight into big fights.
"But it was unbelievable to go in there and get the first round knockout and the celebrations afterwards."
Cairns will get back to training in England next week after a fortnight back home in Cork and he's hoping to return to the Rebel city for a homecoming bout before the end of the year after one more fight, which is likely to take place in the UK in August.
He explained: "The next fight we're looking at August time and then we've been told that they want to put on a show in Cork city for my homecoming.
"I'll be stepping up to eight rounds in my next fight and then possibly fighting for the youth world title in Cork at the end of the year. That's the plan.
"I planned at the start of the year that by the end of 2023 or the start of next year that I'd be fighting for the youth world title and it's looking like it's within hand's reach."
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