By Thomas Gerbasi
On Thursday morning, Seanie Monaghan was waiting for a phone call. Not from a reporter, not from scammers claiming to be from the IRS. No, this call was going to be the life-changing one every boxer wants to get, the one saying he’s going to fight for a world championship.
“It’s been a long week,” he admitted. “I can barely even sleep at night, waiting for a phone call.”
The wait began as soon as Thomas Oosthuizen was removed from his March 12 challenge of WBA light heavyweight champion Juergen Braehmer in Germany. Monaghan immediately threw his name into the hat for the bout, his promoter, Top Rank, got in touch with Sauerland Promotions, and now Monaghan waits.
“I’m sparring southpaws just in case,” said the unbeaten New Yorker, who is champing at the bit for his shot at the 175-pound belt, any belt.
“That’s what I’m here to do,” he said. “I want to fight the best, and this seems like a golden opportunity. Hopefully they can make it happen.”
Should Sauerland go in a different direction for Braehmer, Monaghan is expected to show up in an off-TV bout on the Terence Crawford-Hank Lundy card at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on February 27. It’s a fight that will keep him busy, but likely not any closer to the top of the division, a reality that doesn’t sit well with the 26-0 contender.
“I see guys 18-0 getting title shots, and I’m still here chipping away, beating whoever they put in front of me,” he said. “And obviously the rankings don’t even mean anything. I’ve been ranked in the top five forever and that hasn’t seemed to help me either, so it’s very frustrating for me. The big one hasn’t come my way yet, and I’m really running out of patience. I’ve been patient for a long time, and I’m just really dying to get in there with someone they consider a top guy. I feel like I’m wasting my time here. I’m not going to be boxing forever. I’m 34, and I’m a young 34, but I’m only gonna be boxing another couple years, and I want to get going now. I don’t want to be waiting around.”
At 34, there has to be a sense of urgency for Monaghan to get the big fight, and the fact that he hasn’t is disappointing. Promotional politics will keep him from a shot at WBC titleholder Adonis Stevenson, but as the fourth-ranked contender in the WBA, he should be within striking range of Braehmer. As for the man with all the other belts, Sergey Kovalev, “The Crusher” obviously has his sights on bigger game – namely Andre Ward. But with him likely taking another fight before a Ward bout, why not Monaghan, who has to be considered more worthy of a title shot than Cedric Agnew, Blake Caparello, or even recent foe Jean Pascal.
“You see guys who aren’t even ranked getting title fights, you see guys who lost getting title fights,” Monaghan said. “Look at Pascal. Pascal got hammered by Kovalev then he got beat by the Cuban (Yunieski Gonzalez), and then he gets another title fight. Why does he deserve a fight?”
Why indeed? And while all the politics and slights have been blows Monaghan has taken to heart, he’s not about to stop now, and through the dark times, he’s got a strong support system to keep him (somewhat) positive.
“They (family and friends) actually try to cool me down because I’m the one that’s getting a little bit pissed off,” he said. “They’re just telling me ‘stay positive, you’re undefeated, you’re ranked in the top five, something big is gonna come your way, just hang in there.’”
That’s often easier said than done, especially for a fighter coming off the biggest year of his career in 2015, as he scored three wins over Cleiton Conceicao, Fulgencio Zuniga and Donovan George. That’s a trio that isn’t exactly tearing up the light heavyweight charts, but all were victories that showed the development of Monaghan’s game, even if he hasn’t won everybody over yet. Then again, that’s why he wants the big fight. Not for the money, not for the fame, but to prove that he’s more than just a ticket seller.
“I’ve still got a lot of critics out there, and I’m learning, as I get more experience in the game, just to ignore them, because people are always going to say something,” he said. “But I feel like I haven’t got to show what I’m really capable of yet, and I really want to get put in the right fight where I can showcase what I can do. I’m so much better than people have any idea about. Every single top guy that comes to my gym for sparring, they leave and they’re like ‘oh man.’ I’m a lot better than I get credit for; I’m a lot better than people know. I don’t blame the boxing public; they haven’t got a chance to really see me do what I do yet and I just want that chance. I just want to get in there and show the boxing fans what I’m really capable of.”
In the meantime, he waits for that call, and when he’s not sitting by the phone, he’s getting more and more dangerous.
“It’s very frustrating, but I’m taking my frustrations out in the gym, and I’m getting sharper and stronger all the time,” Monaghan said. “I’ve really got a chip on my shoulder right now, so I’m going to take this frustration and turn it into something positive. I’m not joking – I’m getting stronger all the time and I’m hungry and I’m going to be nastier the next time I get into the ring.”
