Thomas Carty: Ireland’s next heavyweight hope on the rise

In other words, it's high praise to hear Whyte, who competed with Fury, Joshua and other top heavyweights of that era, say what he did. Carty, 28, isn't letting that go to his head, though. He's got work to do and he's willing to put in that time. As for everything else that surrounds a rising star in the division, Carty seems unfazed by it, a coolness he attributes to his father.

“I probably got that from my dad,” he said. “Nothing really raises his blood pressure. He's calm, composed and collected, and he's picky about what annoys him and what doesn't. He taught me pretty well what is a problem and what isn't. And nine times out of 10, what you think is a problem isn't really one.”

The problem is the 6'4″ Carty, who has finished seven of his eight victories by knockout, four of them in three rounds or less. He expects to deliver more of the same this Friday at the 3Arena, which is a second home for him considering he has fought two of his last three fights there.

“I know where the crowd is when I knock him out and where to look when I've knocked him down,” laughs Carty. “But of course it adds something. I've only had two of eight fights at home in my professional career, so it's very prestigious and special for me to be fighting at the 3Arena again.”

For boxing fans, it could also be a good opportunity to see the next big Irish heavyweight before things get even bigger.

“I know from personal experience that there were some good Irish heavyweights who didn't really make the transition or get the chance,” said Carty. “Professional boxing has been dead for years. There wasn't really much happening and the revival started with Katie Taylor moving into professional boxing. She gave us young boxers a platform and something to aspire to.”