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Matthew Macklin pictured at Croke Park on Wednesday. Ryan Byrne/INPHO

'He needs me more than I need him' - Matthew Macklin on possible Andy Lee bout

The middleweight title contender was at Croke Park to promote his upcoming bout with Jorge Sebastian Heiland.

BIRMINGHAM-BORN, TIPPERARY by the grace of God, or Lar Corbett.

Matthew Macklin was at Croke Park, on Wednesday, in the company of the Tipperary hurling star to promote his upcoming WBC title eliminator against Argentina’s Jorge Sebastian Heiland.

The fight will not emulate Muhammad Ali’s 1972 fight at GAA headquarters, rather it will take place at the National Stadium on 30 August. Eddie Hearns’ Matchroom Boxing is trumpeting Mack the Knife’s upcoming bout and have pencilled in a November date at the O2. The hope is that Macklin, who’s mother is from Tipperary, would take on WBC champion Miguel Cotto at the venue.

Macklin told 98FM: “I’ve always been prepared to fight the best. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. This fight throws me back in the mix. I want to be fighting for world title’s. I’ve proven I’m world-class. I was unlucky not to get the decision against Felix Sturm in 2011 and felt I was with Sergio Martinez right up until the end.”

Still, given the recent, knock-out form of fellow middleweight Andy Lee, Macklin faced a few questions about taking on the Limerick native. “[Lee] does need me more than I need him. There’s a lot of big fights out there for me.

“But it’s still a big fight and one that I want to be involved in. It’s a big fight for Irish boxing. With Eddie talking about coming to the O2 in November, that’s definitely one of the fights he is looking at.”

Matthew Macklin and Lar Corbett Macklin is given some Croke Park history lessons by Tipperary star Lar Corbett. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

A full interview with Macklin will be broadcast on the stations’s Now That’s What I Call Sport show from 9am this Sunday.

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    Mute Eoghan McGrath
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    Mar 5th 2014, 1:05 PM

    England should keep Cleverly and always play him. It’ll be great to watch…..as an irish fan!

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    Mute David Panda Byrne
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    Mar 5th 2014, 1:18 PM

    As u obviously support Liverpool who are an English team y wud u want England to lose when you support their league

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    Mute Aidan Swipe Gannon
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    Mar 5th 2014, 4:26 PM

    I bet that racist wouldn’t stand in a pub in liverpool with gerrard on his back and cheer for Demark ?we love Liverpool no you Don’t news flash its in England!!!

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    Mute philip murphy
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    Mar 5th 2014, 5:42 PM

    Because supporting a team in the league and supporting the national team are not the same thing. Pretty obvious really

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    Mute Aidan Swipe Gannon
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    Mar 5th 2014, 5:50 PM

    People in England support Ireland they don’t hate the Irish you lot who hate England are the one’s with the problem ?

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    Mute Lee Smith
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    Mar 5th 2014, 6:38 PM

    David, it’s because Irish Barstoolers are often infected with a rare mental disease, known as ‘Cognitive Dissonance’. It’s very humiliating for Ireland and the Department of Health needs to do more to address this epidemic that is sweeping across our country.

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    Mute Getard Lanslanger
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    Mar 5th 2014, 9:18 PM

    How are supporting a club and supporting a country similar beliefs? Clubs have players from all nationalities so are completely different from national teams. Guarantee you if someone stood in a city pub in Manchester wearing a united jersey there would be issues regardless of which national team they were supporting. And to bring it closer to whom for the holier than though LOI lads, what would happen in a Rovers pub in Tallaght to some Irish supporter wearing a Bohs/Shelbourne jersey.
    It only take one to spark it off.

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    Mute Graham Kavanagh
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    Mar 5th 2014, 10:39 PM

    Panda a Man U fan?

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    Mute John Ryan
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    Mar 5th 2014, 1:39 PM

    In fairness how cleverly is in the squad and Gareth barry isn’t is some joke

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    Mute Banking Bad
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    Mar 5th 2014, 2:48 PM

    Not a fan of Cleverley. But in many ways I can’t agree with that. Barry hasn’t much to offer england anymore at this stage of his career whereas Cleverley will be around for the next ten years maybe.

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    Mute Shane Kearney
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    Mar 5th 2014, 5:23 PM

    “Cleverley will be around”
    That quote sums up Tom Cleverly’s performance in every game he has ever been involved in.

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    Mute Willy Motley
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    Mar 5th 2014, 1:36 PM

    “and man united start winning again”
    you’ll be waitin a while so

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    Mute Mattew Keane
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    Mar 5th 2014, 1:52 PM

    10 days ! Not that long to wait …

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    Mute Willy Motley
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    Mar 5th 2014, 2:02 PM

    Ahhhhhh!

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    Mute Ted Carroll
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    Mar 5th 2014, 2:20 PM

    Matthew I’m glad to hear that you have no ambition of winning this weekends game so, save yourselves for the visit of Liverpool.

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    Mute Mattew Keane
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    Mar 5th 2014, 3:02 PM

    Ted That was clearly aimed at willy , of course I would expect them to win this weekend

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    Mute Willy Motley
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    Mar 5th 2014, 5:19 PM

    I honestly don’t.West Brom I think is it? Been takin points off bigger teams lately,though I suppose United aren’t considered a big team these days :)

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    Mute Mattew Keane
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    Mar 5th 2014, 7:45 PM

    Not a big club ? Why have they not won a league title for 20+ years or something

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    Mute cillian mc Cahey
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    Mar 5th 2014, 4:31 PM

    He mightn’t be the best player around but he’s still not the worst player. Having perditions like that and singling out one player is really unfair!

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