By Irishboxing
Copyright irish-boxing
Matthew Boreland believes his stunning Irish title win has put him on the path to bigger honours – and he already has one eye on Europe.
The Coleraine man broke new ground on the Crocker–Donovan card in Belfast last month, stopping Ruadhan Farrell to become the town’s first-ever professional champion.
The morning after, he revealed his victory had already earned him a place among the continent’s top 15 super welterweights.
“Ian [Gaughran] sent me something this morning – I’m in the top 15 in Europe on BoxRec now,” Boreland explained when speaking to Boxing Tickets NI. “That’s really, really good. So I could possibly look at European titles and stuff too. It’s early days yet, but I’d love to go and challenge and win more. I’d love to see how far I can push on.”
While Boreland has continental ambitions, he hasn’t ruled out domestic options. Chief among them is a rematch with Farrell, the Belfast fighter he dethroned in front of a raucous Windsor Park crowd.
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“I’d 100% do the rematch,” he said. “I’m sure everybody would want to see that again, and it’s possibly something we could look at if Crocker comes back to Belfast. But as Rudy said about me before the fight – I think he needs to go and earn it now.”
Another potential rival is Celtic champion Paul Loonam, who defended his belt earlier this month in the most trying of circumstances following the passing of his father. Boreland admits it’s a fight that interests him, but only on the right platform.
“Fair play to Paul, he’s gone through some really hard times and still went in there and put on a show,” he said. “Absolutely gutted for his loss and hopefully he’s okay. But yeah, that’s another option. The problem is where to do it – he’s in Offaly, I’m Coleraine – so really you’d need a big platform like a Matchroom card to make that one happen. I wouldn’t want to take a fight like that on a small hall show. It deserves a big stage.”
Whether it’s revisiting unfinished business with Farrell, a Celtic title clash with Loonam, or stepping into continental waters, Boreland insists he’s ready for whatever comes next.
“I’ll fight anyone,” he said. “If the opportunities keep coming, I’ll grab them. Winning the Irish title was just the start – now I want to see how far I can really go.
