Jono Carroll, 24, is already a well-travelled boxer having performed in the 3Arena, Dublin, Australia, Germany and England.



Fightstore Media interviewed the unbeaten pro for our new series ‘My Greatest Boxing Memory’.

“My own personal greatest boxing memory would have to be Prizefighter,” began Carroll. “Outside of my own career I would say a boxing memory that really sticks out is when Mike Tyson bit off Evander Holyfield’s ear.

“I remember watching that with my Da. I was only a kid. It was such a shock and it’s one of them things that stand out in my brain.”

Carroll grew up a fan of the equally malevolent and magnificent Mike Tyson.

He said: “I loved his attitude and the way Cus D’Amato trained him. My Dad always told me his whole story from when I was only young. I loved his style of fighting and his aggressiveness.”

Recalling that controversial rematch, Carroll stated: “I thought he was going to go in there and punch the head off Evander Holyfield. I didn’t think it was going to be too hard of a fight for him.”

“It was very close. Holyfield was doing great and that’s what obviously made Tyson snap and bite his ear.

“It was one of them times in boxing where it was so unexpected, even with the fact Mike Tyson wasn’t winning and storming through the fight. It was one of them great memories in boxing that proved to never underestimate anybody.

“The thing was you never knew what to expect from Tyson but at the same time you never thought something like that was going to happen. It just goes to show to keep your head cool in this game and not let it get to you.”

Other childhood memories of the sweet science are also vivid for Carroll.

“I was just a big fan of the sport. I remember watching the Rocky films as a kid and my Dad would always have a bag and stuff out the back and then when we moved house there was a bag in one of the rooms.

“I remember going and thrashing the bag (after watching Rocky). I thought it was great and I always wanted to be a fighter and always loved boxing,” reminisced Carroll.

He then commenced boxing as a professional, the amateur game didn’t interest Carroll, and he took his career to Australia due to the lack of gyms in Ireland.

“When I was away I seen the likes of Sean Turner, Declan Geraghty and Stephen Ormond starting to get recognised,” explained Carroll.

“I was actually snappy and saying ‘wouldn’t you know that when I moved away it was when these lads started getting good publicity and getting in the papers’ and over in Australia I wasn’t getting any interviews done.

“I came back for my sister’s wedding and I was only back two weeks and I was asking my Da to bring me to the Celtic Warrior Gym. He was telling me all about it so I knew that it was the place to go if I was going to do this in Ireland.”

Stay tuned for part two of ‘My Greatest Boxing Memory – Jono Carroll’ where the fighter discusses why winning Prizefigher was the best moment of his career so far.

Photo Source: boxingunion.ie