02.03.06 – Hyland has recently been talking up a potential Irish title fight with Griffin in what would prove a mouth-watering all Dublin clash. Griffin says he’s would be delighted to take Hyland up on his offer. “I’m surprised Paul wants the fight to be honest,” said the 34 year old southpaw. “We’ve sparred before and I think Paul knows just what would happen if we met for real.”
“I like Paul and get on well with him so it’s nothing personal but this is a business and if he wants to call me out it then I’m only too happy to take the fight. It would be one of the biggest fights in Dublin for years.”
Hyland says he feels Griffin may be past his best while at just 21 he would be the hungrier fighter. In a recent interview Hyland was quoted as saying, “I’d happily take that fight. It would be a great fight for the Dublin crowd. It would be a fight everyone would want to see. He has the experience but I think I’d be hungrier because I think Paul’s coming to an end and my career’s only getting started.”
Griffin feels that Hyland’s confidence is misplaced. “That’s his opinion and he’s entitled to it,” shrugged Griffin. “Paul is a confident young kid but he’s even talking about fighting Bernard Dunne. Surely he needs to get past me first before he can even start thinking about those kind of fights.”
As soon as Griffin read that Hyland wanted the fight he was on the phone to promoter Brian Peters to make a deal. “Once I heard Paul wanted the fight I called Brian and told him to make the fight.”
Peters said he way only too happy to offer the fight to Hyland. “It’s a natural fight between two Dubliner’s for the Irish title. It would be a real Dublin dust up. I’ve made Paul Hyland a generous offer so I’m very hopeful that the fight can happen on my next show.”
“It’s a fight that needs to happen in the next few months because I know Paul is contemplating retirement. In fact only for this fight he might already have retired so this is his chance to finish on a high with a big fight in Dublin.”