Birmingham starlet Joe Costello says he can become Britain’s answer to Mexican idol Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
Flame-haired Costello made a sensational start to his pro career earlier this month in Liverpool when he knocked out experienced veteran Youseff Al Hamidi in the first round, earning a place on the big Dereck Chisora v Tyson Fury card on Saturday 26th July at Manchester’s Phones 4 U Arena.
The win was all the more impressive as it was only the second time wiley veteran Al Hamidi had been stopped in a staggering 83 fights, but the first time in the opening round.
Al Hamidi’s resume is like a who’s who of British boxing littered with the names of World, European, Commonwealth and British champions, but he had no answer to the big-punching 20-year-old.
Costello, who as an amateur was rated number one in the world, has been heralded as one of the best amateurs to turn professional in recent years and is the youngest British boxer to win a European Gold Medal.
With his bright red hair, pale skin, and all-action style, Costello bears similarities to Alvarez who thrills with his exciting, hard-hitting, performances and remains one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world despite his points loss last year to Floyd Mayweather Jnr.
“I’ve already had a few comments that I’m like Alvarez, not only because of the ginger hair, but with the way I fight. I’m a massive fan of his, he’s a great fighter, I love watching the way he takes fighters apart with powerful combinations,” Said Costello.
“He’s a fan friendly fighter in the same mould as Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, he gives the fans excitement every time he fights and that’s what I want to do with my fights. I’d like to think that one day I’ll be spoken about in the same way as Alvarez, although I’ve got a long long way to go to catch him up with what he’s achieved,”
“I couldn’t have wished to get my career off to a better start than winning by KO in the first round. I wanted to go out an impress on my debut and I did against a tough and durable opponent who’d been the distance with the likes of Ricky Burns, Nicky Cook, Anthony Crolla and many more,”
“When I started sizing him up with the jab and landing with it I knew that I’d soon connect with a big right hand and that’s what I caught him with. It stunned him and I followed it up with another short one that knocked him down,”
“I’m just excited to keep the fights coming in and next up is the big Manchester show on the undercard of Chisora and Fury which will be a fantastic night.”
Chisora v Fury headlines ‘The Fight For The Right’ with their European and Vacant British Heavyweight title and Final Eliminator for the WBO World title clash; Billy Joe Saunders challenges Emanuele Blandamura for the Vacant European Middleweight Championship; Liam Smith defends his British Light-Middleweight title against Navid Mansouri; Derry Mathews defends his British Lightweight title against Terry Flanagan; Liam Walsh will challenge for the British Super-Featherweight Championship; Nathan Brough and Jack Catterall collide for the Vacant Southern Area Light-Welterweight, plus an action-packed undercard.
Tickets are available now, priced from £50, through Eventim on 0844 249 1000 or eventim.co.uk
Fury v Chisora is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/HD 490 and Virgin Ch. 546). Join at www.boxnation.com
