Ireland's most decorated male amateur Michael Conlan is currently deep in training for his professional debut at Madison Square Garden, New York, on St. Patrick's Day.
The 25-year-old Falls Road super-bantamweight faces unheralded Denver foe Tim Ibarra (4-4) in the Big Apple. Conlan has released some brief footage of his sparring at Manny Robles' gym in Carson California, which currently plays host to world champions Oscar Valdez and Jessie Magdaleno, as well as Conlan and his old friend - fellow Irish standout Jason Quigley.
In the video, Conlan is sparring 15-0 professional Oscar Negrete, a Colombian super-bantamweight prospect with six stoppages to his name.
And while it's easy to look at an attack vs defence sparring session and read too much into it, it wouldn't be unfair to suggest Conlan is looking extremely sharp just over a month ahead of his professional bow. You can watch the video via his Facebook page below, featuring some encouraging narration from a voice who we believe to be that of his manager Matthew Macklin.
Michael Conlan sparring Oscar Negrete
Conlan will likely fight four or five times on US soil before making his Irish debut as a pro towards the end of 2017, and he promises to take the roof off Belfast when that night does arrive.
For those considering a last-minute trip to New York for Paddy's weekend, there are a limited number of tickets remaining for the Belfast boy's first pro fight, available on Madison Square Garden's website.
