IBF world champ Daniel Geale has praised his hometown fans in Launceston, Tasmania, after successfully defending his world title against challenger Ermosele Albert.
Daniel, who grew up and began his amateur boxing career in Tasmania, said bringing a world-title fight “back home” was a dream come true.
“If I can fight in front of a crowd like that, I’d fight every day,” said the 31 year old.
”That was cool. I’d love to be able to fight here again. If we could have a crowd that was that vocal every time I fought, then that’s going to make a big difference.”
Daniel cruised to a unanimous points decision over the American challenger in his first defence, and manager Gary Shaw believes the world will now start to sit up and take notice of the new champ as a major player in the middleweight division.
Shaw also believes Daniel needn’t travel overseas for big fights because he has the potential to draw the world’s best middleweights to Australia – as well as the major American cable and television networks – which is what happened when Kostya Tszyu was in his prime.
”It wouldn’t shock me if, in 2012, we’re seeing Daniel Geale in front of a huge crowd here in Australia on either HBO or Showtime,” said Shaw.
In terms of where Daniel will fight next, he’s leaving that up to his management but says he has no qualms taking on the best challengers, including the man considered pound-for-pound among the best fighters in the world in Argentina: Sergio Martinez.
”There are lots of names, but it’s up to the management,” said Daniel.
”If you look around the world, Sergio Martinez is a name that’s been thrown around before, and that’s one that I’m very keen on.”
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