Puncher Callen McAuley is determined to put on a show in his first clash in front of the Fightzone cameras and win a host of new fans.
The promising welterweight is stepping back into the ring tonight for the first time in more than two and a half years, taking on Angel Emilov at the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen.
The scrap represents a first chance for the former Trinity High pupil to impress a brand new audience, with every bout streamed to Fightzone’s huge audience both north and south of the border.
McAuley previously described his new deal with the channel as a “huge step in his career”.
Now the 23-year-old is desperate to maintain his 7-0 unbeaten record in style to ensure he makes a powerful impression on both the company and their watching subscribers.
He told Express Sport: “After so long since my last fight I’m really excited to get back in that ring and get the job done again.
“I’ve got the ring-rust off through sparring. I’ve trained very hard and sparred boys up in Aberdeen, in Edinburgh, down in Sheffield. I’ve been travelling all over the place to make sure I’m ready to go.
“I’m not worried about that at all. I’m feeling sharp and hopefully I can make a good first impression.
“This is my first fight on Fightzone and it’s important to impress people who are seeing me for the first time.
“I want it to be a nice, clean fight and I want to be dominant.
“I know there’ll be more people watching me, but I don’t feel that added pressure at all. Once you step into the ring, it’s just you and your opponent.
“You could be anywhere and you could have millions watching you or just one person watching you.
“At that point, all that matters is getting the job done and that’s exactly what I’m going to do on Friday night.”
McAuley’s preparation did suffer a setback when his initial opponent Kris Pilkington was forced to pull out of the show.
A back-up opponent also had to cancel, meaning the Paisley southpaw is going toe-to-toe with Emilov again having beaten the Bulgarian on points back in 2018.
McAuley is confident he’s even better prepared to topple the experienced 30-year-old, who has already fought five times this year, now that he’s developed physically and overcome a painful hand break.
He said: “My opponent has changed twice in the build-up, which is never ideal for preparation.
“Luckily , for me, I’ve fought and beaten Emilov before. I was just a kid back then and he seemed absolutely massive to me.
“I was on the back foot a lot in that fight because I had to be wary of that difference in size.
“I’m about a stone and half, two stone heavier now so I’m a lot bigger and a lot stronger than I was back then.
“I’m confident I can deal with what he can bring to the table.
“My hand feels fine. I’ve not had a single issue with it which is a massive
relief.
“I’m no longer worried about how it will hold up which means I can go into the fight with a bit more freedom.”
McAuley went on to thank his main sponsor, Paisley company Instyle Kitchens and Bathrooms, for renewing their support as he looks to kick-start his career again tonight.
He added: “I have to say a massive thanks to Instyle for their backing which helps me massively. I wouldn’t be where I am now without their support.”
