Manchester’s Joe Gallagher has already proven his ability as a boxing trainer, what with great success with the likes of Anthony Crolla, Scott Quigg and the Smith brothers, but the modest coach says his gym, in Bolton, could boast four world champions by the end of the year. Gallagher also said, in speaking with Sky Sports, how he feels he has the right to say his gym is currently the best in Britain and Europe.
“I wouldn’t say it’s the strongest in the world but if you look at the calibre of the fighters there, they’re all fighting for titles,” Gallagher stated. “It’s an exciting time and as far as Britain and Europe are concerned at least, in my opinion it’s the standout stable. We’re competing at British, European and world level. By Christmas time, if things work out and Callum Smith gets the Badou Jack fight, Scott Quigg gets an opportunity for a world title fight, Anthony Crolla is still world champion and Liam Smith pulls off mission impossible, there could be four world champions in the stable.”
It would be a great achievement for Gallagher and his gym if those four fighters could all reign as world champions simultaneously. Super-bantamweight Quigg, beaten last time out by Carl Frampton, can surely come again, lightweight titlist Crolla has made a habit of defying the odds and could do so again when he fights Jorge Linares in a terrific match-up next month, while Smith is the mandatory challenger for Badou Jack’s WBC super-middleweight title. The “mission impossible” Gallagher referred to is of course Liam Smith’s WBO light-middleweight title defence against Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas on September 17. If Smith can upset the odds and the Mexican star, what a feather in the cap of a great year it would be for Gallagher and his hard-working gym.
And with hot prospects and former champions such as Paul Butler, Hosea Burton and Scott Cardle working with Gallagher who’s to say the gym will not have a couple more world champions in 2017.
