CALLUM WALSH is pushing for boxing greatness – with the help of his UFC star girlfriend Tabatha Ricci.
The Irish super-welterweight is 14-0 with 11 knockouts and faces Fernando Vargas Jr on Saturday in Las Vegas.
GettyCallum Walsh is pushing for boxing greatness with the help of his girlfriend Tabatha Ricci[/caption]
Instagram / tabatha.ricciWalsh with his UFC star girlfriend Ricci[/caption]
Instagram / wildcardboxingclub
Walsh with UFC boss Dana White[/caption]
It provides chief support to Canelo Alvarez‘s undisputed super-middleweight super-fight against Terence Crawford.
Walsh is also promoted by UFC boss Dana White and even met his partner Ricci – the No8 ranked strawweight – at one of Jon Jones‘ fights.
The pair took a picture together and reunited soon after when Walsh was next fighting – and he reckons the UFC actually set the two up.
“I was in the back warming up, just chilling,” Walsh told The Casual Experts Podcast.
“And the UFC came up to me and said, ‘Tabatha Ricci wants to come in and say good luck before your fight.
“I said, ‘Yeah, fine.’ But they told her that I asked for her to come in so I could talk to her or something. But I only found this out the other day.
“She was telling her friend, ‘But they told me that you wanted to see me.’ They told us the opposite things.
“We talked a little bit and she said good luck and that was it.”
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The two hung out later that night – and their romance sparked – now living and training together in Los Angeles.
“It’s a lot easier than if I was with a normal person,” Walsh told JER – Sports Journalist.
“Tabatha, she understands my career and understands what I need to do and I understand what she needs to do.
“If I have training, she not like, ‘I want to do something tonight, I want to go for dinner.’ If I have training, she knows I have training.’
“And if she has training I know she needs to train. It’s very easy.”
Walsh admits Ricci is the cook in the couple, serving up delicious Brazilian dishes while trying her hand at traditional Irish Sheppard’s Pie.
But more than anything – Walsh the competitive nature of their relationship helps keep him at the top of his game.
“If I need to go for a run and I don’t want to and I see her go for one, I’m like, ‘F***ing hell, now I have to go,’” Walsh revealed.
“You’re pushing each other, if I wake up in the morning and I’m tired and I see her I’m like, ‘Now I have to get up.’
Instagram / tabatha.ricciWalsh and Ricci first met at a UFC fight[/caption]
GettyRicci is a No8 ranked UFC strawweight[/caption]
Instagram / @tabatha.ricciShe helps Walsh in his training[/caption]
“If she trains one more time then I have to train one more time, we push each other and it works out good.”
Walsh failed in his bid to join Ireland‘s team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – which was postponed a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Amid the ongoing uncertainty – with amateur boxing KO’d – Walsh found himself getting into trouble on the streets by drinking and scrapping.
It got so bad he decided to move out to LA – where his dad was living – to try and train out of Hall of Fame coach Freddie Roach’s gym.
After sparring with established stars like Gabe Rosado and Blair Cobbs – Walsh packed in his career in the unpaid ranks to turn pro.
“I was doing well and I thought, if I could turn pro and start making money, I might as well,” he said on Cigar Talk.
Walsh – now guided by Roach – slept on his dad’s sofa while earning next to nothing in the ring.
@freddieroachWalsh with legendary trainer Freddie Roach[/caption]
@kingcallumwalshRoach welcomed Walsh into his famed LA gym[/caption]
@kingcallumwalshThe likes of boxing legend Manny Pacquaio also train there[/caption]
But his career took off after signing with Wladimir Klitschko and Gennady Golvokin’s ex-promoter Tom Loeffler.
Loeffler was in the middle of agreeing a deal with White for his events to be streamed on UFC Fight Pass.
White was looking for his next Irish sensation off the back of controversial superstar Conor McGregor.
Walsh spent his 21st birthday in Vegas with White – who took a liking to the 154lb hopeful.
“I told him a bit about myself, showed him my Instagram,” Walsh said.
“He said, ‘How many followers do you have?’ I think I had about 9,000 or something at the start when I first met him.
“He said, ‘We’re going to get that way up.’ Stuff like that, he even had a plan without knowing me.”
Walsh built up momentum boxing with the backing of White – headlining in New York and back home in Dublin.
@kingcallumwalshWalsh is promoted by UFC boss Dana White[/caption]
@kingcallumwalshPromoter Tom Loeffler, far right, set up the partnership[/caption]
@kingcallumwalshWalsh has the UFC CEO in his corner[/caption]
But his big break comes this weekend against Vargas – son of former world champion Fernando Sr.
Vargas has taken aim at Walsh on social media – even bringing Ricci into the war of words.
“There’s a bit of bad blood now, but I don’t know where that came from!” Walsh said on Rosado’s podcast.
“I met him a couple of times, we were chilling, then the fight got announced and he’s in my DMs, posting pictures of just my girlfriend doing crazy s***.”
But Walsh believes the trash-talk will backfire on Vargas.
“I think so. All the talking, it doesn’t look good when you get knocked out,” he warned.
Walsh reckons he is on the cusp of big things – and beating 17-0 Vargas is just the beginning.
“I think I have a lot bigger things to do in the sport than fighting Fernando Vargas Jr,” he said.
“I think I’m destined for greatness, I think I have a lot bigger names to fight.
“This is the biggest fight of his career and I think this is just another stepping stone for me.”
@fernandovargas_jrEx-world champ Fernando Vargas with his son Jr[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
