Undefeated professional boxer, Callum Walsh, who plys his trade under the tutelage of Freddie Roach at Wildcard Boxing in California, has detailed some bizarre and unusual drills and training methods he has experienced whilst training alongside former interim UFC lightweight champion, Tony Ferguson.
Walsh, a native of Cork, who boasts an experienced amateur career, returns to the boxing ring atop a Hollywood Fight Nights card broadcast on UFC Fight Pass, and has trained extensively with the aforenoted, Tony Ferguson during the latter’s tenure with Wildcard Boxing.
Callum Walsh has been pictured training extensively with Tony Ferguson during his time with Wildcard Boxing
The former interim UFC gold holder returned to the Octagon at UFC 274 on Saturday opposite Michael Chandler, dropping an early second round front kick knockout defeat in a devastating stoppage loss.
The defeat spelt Tony Ferguson’s fourth on the trot, following prior one-sided losses against the trio of Beneil Dariush, Charles Oliveira, and Justin Gaethje.
For Walsh, the 21-year-old, who began boxing as an amateur at age 11 en route to a slew of national titles and a European championship win, detailed how Ferguson would often call him up late at night and ask him to go on lengthy runs and training sessions.
“I trained with Tony (Ferguson) a lot,” Callum Walsh told assembled media at UFC 274. “Me and Tony run together, I wrestled with Tony, we’ve done a lot stuff together, me and Tony. It’s crazy, training with Tony, I never before in my life, and I actually wrestled with Tony the first time. Crazy, unbelievably crazy experience.”
“Me and Tony, when we go running, he brings all these drills into it, like American football drills, and this kind of stuff,” Callum Walsh said. “And any time I did go running with Tony, it was like the middle of the night. Tony shows up to my house at like 12 o’clock at night, and we just go running. It’s a lot of unusual training but it’s good, I like it, it’s fun. It makes things fun, and I enjoy it.”
Walsh explained how while he would be catching his breath after a lengthy session, Ferguson would often only be warming up – claiming that they would train for upwards of three hours into the small hours of the night.
“There was one night actually he (Tony Ferguson) texted me, I think it was like 11:30, 12 at night, he was just like, ‘Let’s go,” Callum Walsh said. “He just texted me, ‘Let’s go.’ I was like, ‘Alright, let’s go.” I think we trained for like three hours, three or four hours.” (Transcribed by Cageside Press)