DECLAN GERAGHTY insists his luck will change when he challenges WBO European super-featherweight champion Archie Sharp next week.
Sharp (16-0, 8KOs) makes the second defence of his title against the Dubliner at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Friday September 27, live on BT Sport.
Geraghty (19-4, 4KOs) has fallen short in championship fights against Marco McCullough and world title challengers Jono Carroll and James Tennyson.
He bounced back last month with a win following the McCullough defeat in May and says: “You can knock on the door so many times. Eventually it has to be answered and opened at some stage.
“It is not frustrating going so close in big fights because Tennyson and Carroll were two fellas who fought for world titles.
“The McCullough fight I was winning handily and he caught me with a shot from God. He didn’t even believe he could do that.
“Marco and Tennyson got lucky in my opinion. Jono did beat me in our second fight and the first one against him when I was disqualified I don’t count as a loss.
“I have had enough setbacks, but I keep knocking on the door believing I can do things.”
Geraghty, 29, was based in Spain, but has been preparing in his home city for the Sharp showdown and is trained by his dad, Declan Snr.
And a win against Sharp who is ranked at number nine in the WBO rankings for American Jamel Herring’s world title will get the likeable Irishman’s career firmly back on track.
“I have been knocking on the door for long enough and I believe the time is now,” he added.
“If I didn’t think I was good enough and just believed my own hype I would pack it in, but everyone who knows me can see how good I am.
“I haven’t done half of what I can do. I see what I can do in sparring. I believe I can achieve good things and much more.”
Daniel Dubois headlines the bill when he meets Ghana’s Ebenezer Tetteh for the vacant Commonwealth heavyweight crown and WBO flyweight champion Nicola Adams defends her title for the first time against experienced Mexican Maria Salinas, live on BT Sport.
The card will also feature WBO European super-featherweight champion Archie Sharp who makes his second title defence against Dublin’s Declan Geraghty.
Middleweight banger Denzel Bentley, heavyweight Jonathan Palata, lightweight Mohammad Bilal Ali and precocious bantamweight talent Dennis McCann are also in action.
Exciting prospects Lewis Edmondson, Eithan James and Sam Noakes all make their professional debuts.
Tickets for the September 27 bill at the Royal Albert Hall are available to purchase from www.ticketmaster.co.uk
