Keeler determined to commit to title dream

LUKE KEELER believes he will eventually have to focus full time on his boxing if he is to carve out a really successful career path in the sport.

The Ballyfermot middleweight, who only last Saturday chalked up his biggest win in pro boxing by beating Lewis Taylor in the National Stadium.

But in order to build on that and fulfil his National and European title aspirations, Keeler is adamant that he will have to commit fully to his training.

“I’m working full time and then training and what’s going to happen is that I’m going to lose to a guy who I should beat and I’ll only have regrets.

“If I’m going to be competing at that level I really have to be looking at going full time.

“I do want to focus fully on my boxing this year and do it justice.

“My plan is to be back out in May or early June and then fight Darren Cruise for the Irish title.

“One or two more fights after that and I could fight for the European title. It’s held by a 37-year-old Italian and he’s beatable.

“There is talk that Matchroom will be going to Belfast in April and that I could be on that bill, so I could be out even sooner” he added.

While he insists he was not at his best, Keeler still scored an impressive victory over England’s Lewis Taylor in the National Stadium.

“I was happy with the win” said Keeler.. He [Taylor] was ranked 11th in Europe coming into this fight with 19 wins out of 22 and the only two losses he had were against Eamonn O’Kane whom many though he should have beaten and then against British champion Tommy Langford.

“The fight was delayed and I felt a bit flat. I just wasn’t 100 percent and it took a bit out of me, but it was my biggest win.

“The judges had me win every round, but, in fairness, it was closer than that” he admitted.