Philadelphia’s Gabriel Rosado is scarcely in a dull fight while the same thing could be said of Cork, Ireland’s Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan, and the two middleweight warriors are reportedly very close to swapping leather in a fight next month.
According to the twice-beaten O’Sullivan (the losses coming at the hands of Chris Eubank Junior and before that Billy Joe Saunders) he and Rosado are close to signing on for a fight that will headline a Golden Boy card on ESPN in Boston on Sep 30. Seemingly a terrific match-up that would deliver terrific action, this in the works battle will hopefully come off.
Speaking with Irish-Boxing.com, O’Sullivan said it is his aim to “do better than Golovkin,” meaning he aims to stop Rosado quicker than GGG did when the middleweight king stopped Rosado on cuts in the 7th round back in January of 2013.
“I was talking to the guys at ESPN, they said they were interested in having me as the main event on September 30th,” O’Sullivan, 25-2(17) said. “I grew up watching ESPN, so I’m delighted to get the opportunity. They’re in talks with Gabe Rosado and the deal’s expected to be done pretty soon. I’m excited, he’s a warrior, that appeals to me. He has some good fights with [David] Lemieux, Golovkin and [Martin] Murray. My mission is to do better than Golovkin. He couldn’t drop him in seven rounds.”
O’Sullivan, who says he is currently training hard and “sharpening the tools to go to war,” has fought in the US a number of times, and when he lets his hands go, the 33 year old is a dangerous puncher. Rosado, though, is as tough as they come – as he proved in the Golovkin battle. O’Sullivan will be going some if he can stop Rosado quicker than Triple-G did.
Rosado, 23-11(13) and stopped just four times, has won just two of his last nine, yet his most recent fights, decision losses to Willie Monroe Jr. and Martin Murray, were competitive, extremely close even (Rosado was convinced he was robbed in the Murray fight in the UK back in April). Having rumbled with GGG, Lemieux and Jesus Soto Karass (a win for O’Sullivan), Peter Quillin, Jermell Charlo and Joshua Clottey (also a win) Rosado has a clear edge in quality of opposition, but O’Sullivan is the fresher fighter.
A rough and tough distance fight looks a good bet. O’Sullivan has won three in a row since being stopped by Eubank Jr. and he aims to keep his momentum going. A win over Rosado would be big for the Irishman; while a stoppage win would be very big.