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Matthew Macklin pictured at Croke Park on Wednesday. Ryan Byrne/INPHO
Mack the Knife

'He needs me more than I need him' - Matthew Macklin on possible Andy Lee bout

The middleweight title contender was at Croke Park to promote his upcoming bout with Jorge Sebastian Heiland.

BIRMINGHAM-BORN, TIPPERARY by the grace of God, or Lar Corbett.

Matthew Macklin was at Croke Park, on Wednesday, in the company of the Tipperary hurling star to promote his upcoming WBC title eliminator against Argentina’s Jorge Sebastian Heiland.

The fight will not emulate Muhammad Ali’s 1972 fight at GAA headquarters, rather it will take place at the National Stadium on 30 August. Eddie Hearns’ Matchroom Boxing is trumpeting Mack the Knife’s upcoming bout and have pencilled in a November date at the O2. The hope is that Macklin, who’s mother is from Tipperary, would take on WBC champion Miguel Cotto at the venue.

Macklin told 98FM: “I’ve always been prepared to fight the best. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. This fight throws me back in the mix. I want to be fighting for world title’s. I’ve proven I’m world-class. I was unlucky not to get the decision against Felix Sturm in 2011 and felt I was with Sergio Martinez right up until the end.”

Still, given the recent, knock-out form of fellow middleweight Andy Lee, Macklin faced a few questions about taking on the Limerick native. “[Lee] does need me more than I need him. There’s a lot of big fights out there for me.

“But it’s still a big fight and one that I want to be involved in. It’s a big fight for Irish boxing. With Eddie talking about coming to the O2 in November, that’s definitely one of the fights he is looking at.”

Matthew Macklin and Lar Corbett Macklin is given some Croke Park history lessons by Tipperary star Lar Corbett. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

A full interview with Macklin will be broadcast on the stations’s Now That’s What I Call Sport show from 9am this Sunday.

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