WHENEVER a prospect, who is quite clearly being steered towards stardom, enters the ring, there is often a sense that their party could soon come crashing down.
With so much hype, and therefore pressure, attached to their career, it is almost inevitable that, eventually, a more seasoned operator will come along and ruthlessly tear up the script.
That story has unfolded time and again, and for Callum Walsh, it is perhaps a matter of when, rather than if, he will encounter a similar fate.
But until that day arrives, the Irishman is likely to resume his status as the rising star of TKO Boxing, or whatever Turki Alalshikh and Dana White’s new league wishes to call itself.
Indeed, Walsh, 14-0 (11 KOs), at this stage in his career, is being carefully matched against unremarkable opposition with the hope that, soon enough, he will emerge as the needle-moving poster boy of TKO Boxing.
And that strategy, up until this point, appears to have gone according to plan, with a portfolio of highlight-reel finishes only enhancing his developing image.
White, after all, has claimed that he loves nothing more than ‘holy s***’ moments and, as far as Walsh is concerned, the UFC president hardly needs to search far and wide to get his fix.
But again, with the 24-year-old having caught the attention of White from the very beginning of his rise, the pressure is now firmly on him to live up to his potential.
Featuring in the chief support bout of Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford, the biggest boxing event of this year, it is fair to say, too, that the pressure he already feels is only going to intensify.
Standing in his way of career-high paydays and legacy-defining opportunities, meanwhile, is Fernando Vargas Jr, 17-0 (15 KOs), the son of former two-time world champion Fernando Vargas.
In that sense, fighting spirit is something which clearly runs through the veins of the American, who, much like Walsh, has established himself as a heavy-handed puncher.
It must also be said, though, that Vargas’ younger brother, Emiliano, is the one who has inherited the lion’s share of his father’s technical prowess.
And so, without much to write home about, other than perhaps his destructive power, it appears that Fernando represents little more than a calculated risk, designed to elevate Walsh to the next level.
Callum Walsh vs Fernando Vargas Jr fight prediction
Given Vargas’ defensive frailties, and a rather alarming habit of leaving his chin out to dry, it would appear that this fight is not too far removed from a match made in heaven for Walsh.
With the more refined fundamentals and seemingly greater punch variety, then, a devastating finish inside the distance, perhaps in the middle rounds, is certainly on the cards for Walsh.
