Lawrence Okolie would beat Chris Billam-Smith and Richard Riakporhe at bridgerweight, says Macaulay McGowan | Boxing Information

Over the following two days gym-mates Macaulay McGowan and Jack Massey might each win European championships.

Massey takes on Isaac Chamberlain for the cruiserweight title on Saturday, dwell on Sky Sports activities, whereas McGowan containers Abass Baraou for the super-welterweight belt in Bolton on Friday.

He is aware of Baraou is a frightening opponent. “I expect a really tough fight and I’m looking to bring the best of me and get the win,” McGowan advised Sky Sports activities. “I do not see any weaknesses in him!

“I’ve fought good fighters, I’ve been in with some really top fighters and it’s just all the same. I’ve just got to believe in myself and what I do.

“If I apply myself and do what I must do I feel I can drag him into my gameplan and make this a extremely good battle and get the win. I’m actually assured.”

He added: “I’ve been in with Sergio Martinez, I’m not really worried about anybody else.”

McGowan has had an up and down profession. Since his loss to Martinez in 2022 he is solely been defeated as soon as. That was a split-decision reverse final 12 months to Tyler Denny who went on to change into the European middleweight champion himself.

Earlier in 2023 he additionally ventured on to enemy territory when he took on Farrhad Saad in Paris and was unlucky to come back away with solely a draw.

This subsequent battle although might be the excessive level of his profession. McGowan had a singular metaphor to explain what victory would really feel like for him. He likened it to Patrick Swayze singing ‘She’s Just like the Wind’.

“Right at the end Wendy Frazer comes in and sings the harmonies. It adds to the song and it just makes the whole song,” he stated enthusiastically.

“And this is my career – 20 years I’ve been Patrick Swayze in ‘She’s Like the Wind’. It’s coming, that big moment’s coming and it doesn’t. It goes back down. And then something changes in the instrumental, Wendy Frazer turns up – boom – and she hits the notes and it’s like, wow, what a great song.

“So this on Friday is my Wendy Frazer second.”

McGowan might be first of coach Joe Gallagher’s fighters from the Champs Camp gymnasium in Manchester in motion this week.

“By Sunday we could have two European champions,” McGowan stated. “We train hard, we set our standards high and we expect these results.

“Jack’s been trying effectively and I feel he knocks Isaac Chamberlain out.”

An inspiring new addition to their gymnasium has been Lawrence Okolie. Now educated by Gallagher, he got here again from his loss to Chris Billam-Smith to knock out Lukasz Rozanski in a single spherical and win the WBC’s bridgerweight title.

“We’ve seen him come a bit unmotivated, a bit heavy,” McGowan stated. “We could see the transformation from that guy to world champion in a short space of time so it gave everyone a lift.”

He believes this model of Okolie would beat both Billam-Smith or Richard Riakporhe in his new 224lb weight class.

“He’s a force to be reckoned with. He wasn’t the guy I’ve seen on TV holding,” McGowan stated of Okolie.

“If they could [move up] I think Lawrence knocks them both out.”

Closing remaining tickets for Billam-Smith vs Riakporhe accessible by way of Boxxer.com.

Watch Chris Billam-Smith defend his WBO cruiserweight world title in opposition to Richard Riakporhe at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park, dwell on Sky Sports activities on Saturday June 15; or Stream with NOW