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HE only turned professional 18 months ago, but Cookstown’s Teo Alin is already planning on how to win his second title.
The 30-year-old defeated Lee Gormley to claim the Irish Celtic Super Featherweight belt and on Saturday, April 4th he will travel to Wales to take on Kane Shepherd for the British Celtic Super Featherweight crown on the undercard of the Lauren Price versus Stephanie Aquino World Welterweight title contest in Cardiff’s Utilita Arena.
While a little surprised by his rapid ascent in the paid ranks, Alin admits this latest opportunity is one he is determined to grasp with both hands.
“It’s a massive opportunity,” he beamed. “A good platform. It will be on BBC2, on the undercard of a world title fight, it’s a big opportunity.
“There will be a lot of eyes on it. If you had told me I’d be fighting on shows like this a couple of years ago, I’d have laughed.
“It’s mad that everything has come so quick. I’ve only had six fights [as a professional], going into my seventh so for an opportunity like that to come up I had to grab it with both hands and when I win this, doors will open!”
Having won all six of his previous professional contests, Alin will enter the ring in Cardiff against an opponent with a strikingly similar record. Southpaw Shepherd boasts an 8-0 record as a professional, having defeated some of the same names as his Tyrone foe in the process.
However, the Cookstown man feels he will have more than enough weapons in his arsenal to overcome the hometown favourite on the night as he aims to continue to show his suitability to the professional game.
“He will obviously be hungry as well because we’re at similar stages of our careers, but he’s been a pro since 2022 so he’s either got injured a lot of the time or he’s just not that dedicated, so I’m confident going into this,” Alin observed.
“He’s a southpaw and he’s a lot slower on his feet [than Gormley], but he’s strong and he likes to come forward. I find he’s very one dimensional so I’m confident going into it.
“I know I’m capable of doing more [in the pro ranks]. Pro boxing definitely suits me better and it’s good that I have another title fight straight after.
“It would be good to call yourself a British and Irish champion.
“What I learned, even by watching the other pros spar, the first, second and third rounds are about gaining information.
“The fight doesn’t really start until the fifth or the sixth rounds. You’re learning on the job.”
