Level with 'AJ', now Matthew McCole eyes up a Paris pathway

Matthew McCole equalled an Anthony Joshua achievement recently - and now wants to emulate the former world heavyweight king in making it to the Olympic Games.

Last month, McCole won gold at the Haringey Box Cup in London. The tournament is Europe’s largest amateur boxing competition.

As a rising amateur, Joshua twice won Haringey gold medals and this year’s was McCole’s second title at the Alexandra Palce. The likes of Katie Taylor, Nicola Adams, Anthony Yarde and Chris Eubank Jr are others to have topped the Haringey charts.

Illies Golden Gloves light-middle McCole wants to book a place on the plane to the 2024 Olympic Games. First, though, he wants to be in pristine condition for the Irish Elite Championships, which will take place in November.

Dean Walsh, who lost out in the round of 32 at the recent European Games - an Olympic qualifier - is the man to beat in the 71kgs division. The Wexford man has beaten McCole’s brother, Mark, previously and now he wants to take a crack at toppling Walsh and going into the box seat.

“The next couple of months will be my last chance saloon to get to the Olympic qualifiers,” McCole told Donegal Live. “I watched the European Games recently and was looking at lads who I have boxed before and it’s annoying. When you see them, you just want to be there too.”

Turkish puncher Tuğrulhan Erdemir competed alongside McCole at the 2022 FISU University World Cup Combat Sports in Samsun. Erdemir took bronze at the European Games and will be in Paris.

As well as winning gold at the Haringey Box Cup, the west Donegal southpaw also traveled to America. The Dungloe native overcame Jalen Clark at a San Francisco Youth GAA fundraiser.

He is awaiting confirmation, but McCole could return Stateside in September with possible fights at Bridges Beyond Boxing events in Cincinnati and Detroit.

McCole is undergoing a PHD in science and engineering at ATU Donegal and is in fine fettle inside the topes.

“I took a break after Haringey, but the training will be harder now and will come back big in August,” McCole, a four-time Irish Colleges champion, said. “To get where I want, I need to win the Elites to get onto the High Performance team for the qualifiers.

“I’m in good form and looking forward to getting back to action again.”