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Undefeated and Unfazed: Callum Walsh Thrives Under Ireland's Spotlight
Callum Walsh takes on Przemyslaw Runowski on Friday, September 20, at Dublin's 3Arena
Callum Walsh isn’t tired of all the attention yet.
“Nah, it's all right,” he laughs in between training sessions at the Wild Card Boxing gym in Hollywood, California. The unbeaten junior middleweight prospect is still a few weeks out from his return to Ireland for this Friday’s meeting with Przemyslaw Runowski at 3Arena in Dublin, but if there were going to be any nerves for the headliner, they’re not visible.
Then again, the Cork native has always been cool under pressure in the ring and equally confident outside the ropes. That type of demeanor makes champions and stars in this business, and that’s what the 23-year-old has been aiming for since he first put on the gloves as a youngster.
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“I've been like this my whole life,” said Walsh. “I don't really worry about things too much. I'm never really worried about anything, to be honest. I just take things as they come. And with things like this, with the opportunities I'm getting, I'm just enjoying them as much as I can because I know as fast as they came around, it could go away just as fast, so I'm just trying to live in the moment and enjoy everything that I'm getting. I don't want to be 40 years old or 50 years old and think, I wish I just enjoyed it more. I wish I wasn't so stressed. I wish I wasn't so worried about this fight and the next one, I wish I just enjoyed it. And that's the thing. You could be dead in the morning, and you just don't know. So I'm just enjoying every day as it goes.”
That’s a healthy attitude to have in any walk of life, but especially in the fight game, where, like he said, it could all go away in an instant. Zig when you should have zagged in the ring, and you’re staring at the lights and dismissed as a hype job. Walsh has been in the game most of his life, and he’s seen others fall by the wayside as fast as they reached the top or near it. So there’s no time to be jaded. Walsh knows he’s done the work; now it’s time to enjoy the build-up to his first fight at home as a professional.
Since leaving home to live in Southern California, he’s become a highly talked about up and comer on the U.S. scene, where he’s built an 11-0 record with nine knockouts fighting in his local area, as well as in New York City and Boston, where Irish fans stateside have come out in droves to support him. Now he gets to come back as a conquering hero, and though he makes frequent visits home, he does fear bringing a California accent with him.
“Sometimes, a few of the boys call me the Yank,” he laughs. “Not too much because I didn't lose the accent, and that's one thing that I don't want to happen. I never want to lose the accent. I don't even use the American words because I don't even want to start saying them. I don't even want it to be in my vocabulary. I want to be able to just keep the Irish stuff because I know if I ever go home and I say an American word or something, I'll never hear the end of it. That's the worst thing. I'll be the Yank forever then.”
Well, so far, so good, as Walsh has retained his Irish accent and will fit right in for the biggest fight of his career against Poland’s Runowski, a 22-2-1 who brings a four-fight unbeaten streak into Friday’s bout at a location the “King” is familiar with.
“I was there once about five years ago, and 50 Cent was the headliner there that night,” he said. “So I went from 50 Cent at the 3Arena to now Callum Walsh at the 3Arena.”
“Obviously, it's a big deal, but, at the end of the day, I still have to go there and win,” Walsh said. “If I just go there and get knocked out, that's the end of it. The big deal is all over. That's the thing about boxing; at this stage of my career, if I go into the 3Arena and get knocked out, that's the end of it. So, I understand it's a big deal and I train very hard and I'm always ready. But that's why I think it's so easy for me. I know I prepare very well. My camp goes very good and I train very hard. So there's no doubt in my mind. I'm going to win 100%. I think that's what makes it a bit easier for me.”
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Walsh hasn’t been wrong thus far, and he plans on keeping his perfect streak intact in front of his loyal Irish fans. As for the thoughts that will run through his head before he makes the last walk to the ring?
“It will be a bad night to be a beer that night in the 3Arena in Dublin, I’ll tell you that much,” Walsh laughs after ripping off the best quote of 2024. “But I think it'll be a very good night, a very good atmosphere. (UFC CEO) Dana White is coming with a massive show to Dublin. This is what we've been missing for a long time. I think it's just going to be crazy. I think people are going to really realize that this is the next level of boxing with Dana White being involved, the UFC backing the show, and supporting the show, and with (360 Boxing Promotions’) Tom (Loeffler) and me and (trainer) Freddie Roach and everybody that's coming, it's going to be a very good card. It's going to play out exactly how UFC is: quick back-to-back fights, high-level fights, no messing around. And people will realize that this is how it's supposed to be and it's going to be history.”
