McComb: Kaisee is planning to start fast

Poster for Saturday’s European title fight

SEAN McComb, the Belfast star who brings his brand of excitement to Bimingham on Saturday, believes opponent Kaisee Benjamin will set a blistering pace.

McComb, who puts his WBO European light-welter title on the line against Eastside’s poker faced assassin, has trained for Kaisee to come out of the blocks fast.

The two clash on Boxxer’s major show at Resorts World, televised on Sky.

It’s a mouth-watering collision between a champion who has lost only one of 16 and a challenger who has lost two of 19. Actually, make that one – the points loss over three rounds in an Ultimate Boxxer tournament can, surely, be scrubbed from Benjamin’s slate.

For 27-year-old Kaisee it’s a chance to again grasp the big time after losing on points to British champ Dalton Smith last November. That was something of a chess match 12 rounder.

McComb has described the scheduled 10 rounder as the “perfect platform” to showcase his skills.

For Benjamin, there have been no warm-ups, no mark-time bouts. He’s stepped straight back into a major title fight following the setback.

Throughout the build-up, southpaw McCoomb has shown immense respect for his Birmingham challenger.

The 30-year-old told “Boxing Tickets NI”: “I’m just excited, I’m buzzing. I don’t expect the same kind of fight between me and Kaisee (as the Dalton Smith clash). I expect a very, very high tempo fight. I don’t expect anything like the Dalton Smith fight.

“I’ve trained for him to come out and come at me from the first bell. I’m going to match that and keep that high pace. I want to keep that high pace.

McComb’s sole defeat, in 2021, was fairly emphatic. Cut on the cheek and over the right eye, he was halted by Gavin Gwynne – with the Commonwealth lightweight title at stake – in seven.

The Irishman has warned Birmingham fans not to make too much of the loss.

“I wasn’t losing that fight, it was probably level,” he insisted. “Everything that could’ve gone in Gwynne’s favour did. It will be a different scenario in a big, massive ring and big arena.

“I have a good crowd coming over, around 40. I’ll be there to put on a show. There’s a good Irish community in Birmingham. I believe they’ll support a good fight and I think it will be a great fight. When I win, I’ll get a bit more support from Birmingham.”

Only days ago, in an interview with “ringwalkmedia12”, McComb stressed: “It’s got the makings of a great fight. He’s coming off a loss and he’s going to be dangerous.

“I’m sticking to my tactics and what I’m good at and I’m prepared for a good, hard fight.

“It’s a break-through fight for both of us. I want to progress in my career and reach as far in this sport as I possibly can – and I believe that’s elite, world level.”