Peter McGrail sees no reason why he won’t pass his upcoming test against Alexander Espinoza with flying colours.
McGrail (4-0, 3KOs) knows a win over Espinoza (21-4-2) will make his rivals sit up and take note as he picks up the pace on his journey to the top of the super-bantamweight division. The 26-year-old tops the bill at the Eventim Olympia this weekend as Probellum returns to Liverpool following their first show in the city back in April.
McGrail takes on the dangerous Espinoza over 10 rounds, in a milestone moment for the former amateur sensation. And speaking exclusively to the ECHO ahead of the fight, McGrail sees no reason why he won’t extend his winning professional run to five fights.
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He said: “I want to get to the top as quickly as possible, but I understand that we have got to take the right steps at the right time.
“I feel like it is a perfect fight for me at this stage of my career. I feel like I am going to pass the test with flying colours.”
Tickets for Saturday's show have already sold out, although fight fans will be able to watch the action for free on probellum.com.
“If there is pressure, it is probably a good thing,” McGrail said when asked about the prospect of headlining his first sell out show.
“Since my first tournament as an amateur, I won a gold medal in 2017 in Ukraine, after that there was pressure on me in every tournament.
“Apart from the Olympics, I was on the podium for every tournament. I believe I perform well under pressure. I know this is a bit of a step up and that could add a bit of pressure, but I am fully focused.
“I have proved throughout my career that I thrive under pressure. As I mentioned, all the tournaments I have been to there has always been pressure.
“I’m headlining my first show and this is going to be the first of many. Nights like this are what we train for and what I have trained all my life for. I can’t wait.”
Before he added: “I know I keep going back to my amateur career, but it is because of my amateur career why all this is happening.
“It is the reason why I am taking this step in my fifth fight and why I am headlining the bill in my fifth fight, and why all of Liverpool is getting behind me.
“I’ve made everyone proud over the years with the medals I have got so it is just great and Liverpool gets behind its own, whether it is football or boxing.
“Everyone in Liverpool loves boxing and as I say I have made everyone proud over the years so that is why I have got the support I have at the moment.”
McGrail, who is a lifelong Everton fan, has also set his sights on becoming a world champion at the club’s new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium in the not so distant future.
“After seeing Bellew at Goodison, and how good of a night that was. That must have been one of the best nights he had in boxing,” he said.
“It would be good for me and our Joe to do the same. I think by the time I get to that level we probably will be in Bramley-Moore.
“But yeah, that is the aim for us, to become world champion in Bramley-Moore. It would be good to actually become world champion there, you never know.”
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