Dennis McCann targets fight against former Naoya Inoue opponent

EUROPEAN super-bantamweight champion Dennis McCann hopes to return to the ring in December and has an opponent in mind.

This week the 23-year-old could find out when and where he is fighting next. Should he box one more time this year, that would total three bouts in 2024, which makes up for an inactive 2023 when McCann fought just once, which ended in a Technical Draw against Ionut Baluta.

This year ‘The Menace’ has outclassed Brad Strand and proved far too good second time around against Baluta. Those two wins personally vindicated his decision to switch gyms from the iBox in Bromley under Alan Smith to Liverpool under the guidance of Joe McNally.

McCann now wants to move beyond domestic and European level opponents and mix it with those who have fought world champions or won world titles themselves.

“I’m looking for them big names, the likes of TJ Doheny. I’d love to share the ring with someone like TJ Doheny,” McCann told Boxing News.

“I want to test myself against some world-class operators. I know he’s a bit older now, but I’d even fight the likes of Nonito Donaire. I’d love to fight the likes of him and test myself against some world-class fighters.”

The name of Dennis McCann, however, is currently on the radar of Peter McGrail and his promoter Eddie Hearn. After the Liverpudlian’s second-round knockout win against Brad Foster last weekend, Hearn said of McCann vs. McGrail: “I honestly think that’s one the best fights in British boxing. The British title’s been ordered between Peter and Dennis McCann, so has the European. We’ve already spoke to Queensberry. That’s one of the top fights in British boxing.”

Nowadays the idea of a fight between someone from Hearn’s stable and Frank Warren’s stable (Queensberry, who promote McCann) is not the far-fetched thought it used to be. Turki Alalshikh’s influence and wealth has ensured the UK promotional cold war is over for now.

Responding to Hearn’s comments, McCann said: “Eddie Hearn’s invested a lot of money in Peter McGrail and as we seen recently he got knocked out by an American journeyman (Ja’Rico O’Quinn). I know he was winning the fight but he got annihilated. He never got stopped. He got absolutely knocked straight out.”

“Listen, I’ll fight him tomorrow morning,” McCann continued. “It doesn’t worry me at all but why would I take five steps back when I’m looking to go forward. If they offer some life-changing or substantial amounts of money I’d fight him on a Riyadh Season card. But apart from that he can keep them Mickey Mouse belts. They don’t mean nothing to me. I’ve got kids to feed, I’ve got a wife… them belts ain’t feeding them. I’m moving on now.”

Since McCann arrived on the scene as an 18-year-old in 2019 the talk has often been of winning world titles. Raw, cocky and full of beans at the time, McCann has obviously matured but still talks the talk knowing tickets need to be sold and punters put on seats. His wins against Strand and Baluta didn’t put us on the edge of ours but one which could is a fight against his Queensberry stable-mate Liam Davies.

McCann expects current undisputed super-bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue to move up to featherweight, leaving behind four vacant world titles.

“I’ll be ready to grab them belts,” McCann said.

“Liam Davies is on his path at the moment and I’m on mine. It’s an easy fight to make but we’ve both got to be paid for it.

“Hopefully he grabs a world title, I’ll grab a world title, and we can unify.”