Interview: David Bomber Kennedy wants more and more after his pro boxing debut win

David Bomber Kennedy’s professional boxing debut took place last Friday…

The event, promoted by JB Promotions, took place at the Warehouse at the Red Cow in Dublin on Friday, October 4th.

Kennedy was fighting another recently turned pro – Polish boxer – Michal Malicki. It was a fight which seen the hand raised of Gorey local, David ‘Bomber’ Kennedy, following a unanimous decision win to become 1-0 in the pro ranks.

Now Tuesday morning, a few days have passed since the fight, and Kennedy is off to his day job. For pro boxers starting off, it’s not as glamorous as one may think as most boxers juggle professional boxing with their own full-time work schedule.

Four days after his professional debut in Dublin, we had the opportunity to catch up with David ‘Bomber’ Kennedy where he reflected on the fight, discussed the differences between the amateur and the pro game, and made a shout out to willing promoters to put him on some upcoming big cards locally.

“I celebrated the fight by going back to the Bunker Bar, a pub ran by my Godfather – Jimmy Fleming. He came on board as a main sponsor, so it was only right to bring the crowd back to his premises. We had a right night,” he said.

Reflecting on the fight, Kennedy said he was surprised with his opponent. Still only fresh in the pro game, the Polish fighter was a tough one and wasn’t just a simple walk in the park that many boxers starting off are given.

“Yes, I was surprised by his toughness. He took a lot of big shots. He was always looking for that one shot – the overhand right. I had to be wary about it. But we had to stick to the game plan and be smart about it. He obviously could punch – and he was looking for that. It was a great experience overall,” Kennedy said.

Directly after the fight a post-fight interview with sweat still pouring down his face, Kennedy said that it was “good” but it “could have been better”. With four rounds under his belt now in the pro ranks and with more time to reflect, we wondered if he still felt the same.

“I’m happy with how it went, but I’m always looking to improve like. There’s still plenty to work on. At the same time, there’s a big improvement there since I last fought in the amateur scene until now. I feel like I’m a lot more of a complete fighter now, and it’s just about showing it now on the big stage,” Kennedy told Wexford Weekly.

One thing that stood out from watching the fight at the Red Cow Warehouse in Dublin was the number of people there from Wexford to support Kennedy. There was an incredible Wexford support there to support their own on his next journey.

“The crowd does help of course. It can even help too much at times too. You can get ahead of yourself and maybe forget to do a few things. But the crowd up there was unbelievable. I would say it was the biggest turn-out of the night by a long shot.”

With his first fight over and done with, Kennedy has now got a feel for the pro game. Before turning pro, he enjoyed an excellent spell in the amateur ranks, winning four national titles along the way. For Kennedy, whether it’s professional or amateur – the aim is still the same.

“It’s different, but it’s still a fight. I felt the gloves were a lot smaller on my hands. You can feel every punch that you take. The duration of the fight is longer if it goes that long, but at the end of the day, a fight is a fight.”

There are a few big cards coming up. One will likely be in Waterford for Dylan Moran’s potential bout with Belfast native, Tyrone McKenna. Although not confirmed by the promoters, the bout is scheduled for December 7th. One Wexford boxer, Dean ‘Gonzalez’ Furlong looks a shoe-in to fight on that card as he is promoted by Conlan Boxing, but could we see two Wexford boxers on this card? It’s something that does interest Kennedy.

“Yeah, there are a few big cards coming up. Waterford… Conlan Boxing are running a show down there on December 7th. We’ve had a few offers now, but obviously to fight on a Conlan Boxing show so close to home would be incredible. The support would be unbelievable down there too,” he said.