“I can be the best – I’m up at the top of the division”, said Limerick’s delighted Willie ‘Big Bang” Casey as he scooped the £32,000 stg cheque and the title of Prizefighter Super-Bantamweight Champion. What makes Casey’s win all the more special is that he was a late call up to replace the injured Wayne McCullough in the competition.
Casey entered the series with an unbeaten and possible unproved record. However, ‘Big Bang’ laid his heart on the line and punched his way to the top of the pecking order in some style. “This is great – I’ve now shown I can fight at the top.
“I only came here with five fights on my record, but I beat everyone against all the odds. This is for my family and everyone back home. It was a great opportunity and if a big fight comes up then I will always accept it. Prizefighter came along and without hesitation I accepted it.”
The 28-year-old is now actively ranked as the top boxer in Ireland in the division after his emphatic win in London last weekend. Before the series began, Casey beat Tyson Cave in Toronto in early April and put the first blemish on the Canadian’s 10 fight unbeaten record. Good prep, but ‘Big Bang’ said he was a little edgy as the series got underway, but that was soon to change as he stepped into the ring for the opening bout.
“I normally come on stronger in the later rounds but I had a fast start in my first fight. The best in Britain were in this competition but I was the last man standing.”
As for the future, Casey is as optimistic as he is grounded.
“Who knows what the future holds, I might get a shot at a European title now that I have won Prizefighter. I’m very proud of what I have done”, noting this being another great day for boxing in Limerick.
Casey’s opponent in the final was drafted in as the semi-final winner scheduled to take on the Limerick man suffered a serious cut to his eye and medical staff forced his withdrawal. Big Bang then faced Scotland’s Paul McElhinney after defeating Mark Moran and Josh Wale with Casey taking the title by unanimous decision over the three rounds. Earlier bouts were a little closer but Willie proved his worth pound for pound.
The win sees Casey rise to the top in Ireland but he still has some way to go if he is to make a dent in the European or World ratings.
Names like Poonsawat Kratingdandgym, the man that beat Bernard Dunne to take the WBA title, European and Commonwealth Champion Rendall Munroe and former WBA champion Ricardo Cordoba sit atop the pile in the super bantamweight list, but when this hack was in conversation with organisers and those behind the scenes with Willie, they said they’ll see what the future brings by way of a fight, but the thing about Willie is that will fight King Kong, so no reason he can’t look at a European title fight. To right I say.
