Callum Walsh Talks Training Under Freddie Roach Ahead Of Elias Espadas Fight (Exclusive)

Callum Walsh is widely considered as one of the fastest rising stars in boxing. At the age of 24, he already boasts an impressive 13-0-0 record with 11 knockouts.

Neither of Walsh's last three fights has lasted more than two rounds, with the most recent finishing in the first. He keeps improving under the watchful eyes of the legendary Freddie Roach.

'King' Callum returns to action on June 21 against Elias Espadas. He has been hyped up to be the future face of boxing by the likes of Dana White and others. Walsh has been perfect so far in his journey and looks to build on that against Espadas.

Walsh spoke exclusively to KO on SI and shared his thoughts on the fight, Freddie Roach, a prediction for Canelo vs Crawford and more.

KING CALLUM WALSH 💥☘️☘️ #WalshSutherland pic.twitter.com/CUiysZjOfe
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) March 17, 2025

Q: Thoughts on your upcoming fight against Elias Espadas? How do you rate Espadas as an opponent, and your prediction?

Callum Walsh: "I think he’s definitely a good opponent. He just had a draw against a Kazakh fighter a few months ago, who I think was an amateur world champion. Who is 15-0-0, they had a draw. He’s coming off a good fight. Back-to-back two camps right now. He’s had a full camp for his last fight and full camp for this fight. So, I think he’s at his very best. I think it’ll be a good night for me to prove how good I am. How good I’ll look considering his last fight. I think if I get him out of there, get the knockout, it’d be a very good fight for me. A very big statement for my career."

Q: Do yo see a finish against Espadas? If so is it early or later?

Callum Walsh: "I am always looking for the finish. I think I can get him out of there. I don’t think it matters. If it’s early, it’s early. My power carries through the whole fight. I finish guys in the ninth round, in later rounds. I’ll be definitely looking for the finish and try as hard as possible to finish the fight."

Q: How is your camp going under Freddie Roach?

Callum Walsh: "The camp’s going very well, like every camp. With Freddie, the opportunity to learn every single day, improving every day, I feel like I am getting better and stronger. It’s going good. I am really enjoying there at Wild Card, I enjoy training with Freddie. Learning from a legend, a trainer that’s had so many legends.

"Even one’s there right now. Manny Pacquiao is back in the gym. Have that feeling around the gym leading up to a fight, that’s a big help. The buzz around the gym with Pacquiao being there, everybody’s there, everybody’s happy. Yeah it’s going well."

Q: Do you train with Manny Pacquaio day-to-day?

Callum Walsh: "He trains right after me. If I stay a little bit, I can see him. But usually he trains after me and I am gone home."

Q: When do you see yourself in the world title picture?

Callum Walsh: "If I keep knocking people out, If I make it look easy, it’s gonna have to be soon. Obviously I am still young, 24-years-old. My team doesn’t want to rush anything with a young fighter. Who knows? We’ll see how the fights go. If they look easy, I will go and fight tougher and tougher opponents. I think the world title could be there definitely sooner than later."

Q: Will you call someone out if you beat Espadas?

Callum Walsh: "I see a few fighters mentioning my name at the moment. Fernando Vergas, I see him. Vargas has mentioned my name a few times. So, we’ll see. We’ll get this fight out of the way, I like to look at one fight at a time. We need to get this job done first and we’ll move on to the next one then."

Q: Growing up as an Irish fighter, what was your impression of Conor McGregor? Do you collaborate now?

Callum Walsh: "I was a massive McGregor fan. That’s the reason I watch the UFC. I remember being 12-13, in my grandmother’s house, staying up late to watch the UFC because Conor was fighting.

"When I turned professional, working with Dana, I met Conor for the first time, it was crazy. I had sponsorships from Conor for a couple of fights. We text back-and-forth every now and again, He has been such a massive influence for every young fighter. I think most people fight because of Conor, MMA has gone big in Ireland because of Conor. He’s a massive inspiration for the country and it’s crazy that I actually know him personally."

Q: What’s your working relationship with Dana White and how could TKO Group present you with more opportunities?

Callum Walsh: "I think the TKO boxing is a very good idea. The way it’ll be run, it’ll be very professional, and a very high level. Big fights will have no other choice but to happen. So, there’s no avoiding fights. I think that’s how I’ll benefit a lot. If it was to come to play and I was gonna be a part of it, taking big fights. I have never turned down a fight in my life. I think that’s how I’ll benefit, the TKO making big fights, forcing big fights, making these fighters have no choice but to fight each other. I think I’ll have the chance to show people my skills, prove how tough I am, I would love to fight for TKO. Who knows, they don’t really tell much so we’ll see in the future."

Q: Is there a chance you ever fight in MMA or are you focused on boxing?

Callum Walsh: "Right now, I am focused on boxing 100%. When I do something, I tend to commit to it and see how far I can go. In the future, I’d definitely love to fight in MMA. Obviously, my girlfriend is a UFC fighter. I mess around, little bit of grappling, little bit of everything. I’ve trained with UFC fighters like Tony Ferguson. I’ve trained a bit but if I was to fight MMA, I’d focus 100% and do it seriously. I wouldn’t be someone who just did it for fun. It’s something I have to think about and commit to. I love the sport of MMA, I love the UFC, it’s something I’d love to tick off my bucket list before the end of my career."

Q: How do you see Manny Pacquiao vs Mario Barrios play out?

Callum Walsh: "I think Pacquiao will win that fight. Pacquaio is very fast, very strong still. The speed is crazy. I have seen videos of him training at 46 years old, the speed looks the same. It’s crazy that at 46 the man can still train that hard and still look that good. I think Manny Pacquiao will win the fight. I think he has a lot of experience, a good team around him, especially being back with Freddie. I think Pacquiao will win the fight."

Q: Do you plan on fighting in Ireland in the future?

Callum Walsh: "Yeah, I definitely want to go back. Maybe next year, summer. The Ireland fight that I had was the best fight of my career. The crowd, everything, everybody showing up, it was a great night all around. The fight was good, the crowd was good, everything was good. I’d love to get back and put on another show for the Irish people, my own people. Hopefully I can get back there because like I said, that was the highlight of my career so far."

Q: Prediction for Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford?

Callum Walsh: "That’s a tough one. I think Canelo will win that fight. I don’t know how much bigger Canelo is but definitely more experienced at higher divisions and being more comfortable at that weight class, so, I think that comes into play as well. I think Canelo is just a lot more comfortable at the higher weight classes."

Q: Prediction for Gervonta Davis vs Lamont Roach 2?

Callum Walsh: "I think Gervonta Davis probably wins. I have only seen highlights of their first fight. I am not really sure but I’d side with Gervonta Davis. He’s a very good fighter, very skilled, powerful."

Q: Prediction for Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois 2?

Callum Walsh: "I think Usyk is one of the best fighters at the moment. He’s very skillful for a big guy. I don’t see anybody beating him at the moment."

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