Kildare’s Sarah Murphy set for swift return to the ring to face Cantos
Double Olympic Gold Medalist, Jade Jones, with undefeated Kildare boxer, Sarah Murphy.
Murphy is confident she can extend that unblemished run, but is wary of Cantos, who has demonstrated the ability to deliver results in the ring, with nine wins from 36 outings to her name, two of those coming by way of knockout.
“I’m just stepping up with very single fight and this is a big step-up compared to my last fight” stressed Murphy.
“She [Cantos] is a lot younger than the other women I’ve fought, so she’s going to be a lot quicker on her feet. I’ve been told by my coaches that she can hit and she can also take punches as well, so she’ll be tough.
“She’ll really come forward at you, but these are the types of fights that I want. I want to compete in challenging fights like this. It’s a massive step-up for me and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Murphy’s father, Wes, who, together with Brian Guy, coaches Sarah, has also emphasised the threat her next opponent poses, but insists the Kildare woman has the ability and preparation behind her to successfully navigate this latest test.
“We’re really looking forward to next Saturday night” said Wes. “Eva, from what we can see, is a huge step-up in class from Sarah’s last three opponents. She’ll be a tough opponent. This girl will come forward and she’ll want to fight, but we’ll be hoping that Sarah will have enough for her on the night.
“It’ll be her toughest fight to date and we’re hoping it will be her last four-rounder if she can come through it. We’re hoping to step up to six rounds after that and take things to the next stage. Sarah’s camp has been going fantastically well. This really has been her best camp to date.
“We’ve increased everything that we’re doing with her. We’ve improved cardio, we’ve improved strength and conditioning and we’ve really upped the level of sparring that we’re bringing in.”
As part of her preparation for this month’s fight, Murphy has been sparring top quality opponents, including Gabrielle Mongan from Tallaght and another rising Kildare star in Kelsey Leonard. What’s more, she returned to 4 Corners Gym in Liverpool where she took part in some hard sparring against top-drawer opposition in Jade Jones and Liv Holmes.
It has been an important part of her build-up to the Cantos fight and the Kildare woman was encouraged by her form over in England.
“I’m only back from Liverpool where I was training in 4 Corners Gym with Stephen Smith” she said. “I was in sparring with two completely different girls, two completely different styles, and even compared to my last fight with them, I could see myself improving each time. The preparation for this fight has been unbelievable. We’re getting lots of sparring, loads of ring time, and getting the rounds banked. Everything is on point.”
Murphy is enjoying the rate at which the fights are coming this year as she continues to build towards the longer-distance contests. Indeed, this will mark her third bout in 2026, and the 18-year-old is relishing the intense schedule that JB Promotions has been mapping out for her.
“I feel good about how fast they’re coming” insisted Murphy. “This year is all about getting out and getting as much fights as I can and getting loads of experience underneath my belt. I’m only at the start of my career, but I’ve settled in now and I’m only getting better and better. I’m becoming faster, I’m becoming stronger with each fight. I’m improving my own skills and learning from my mistakes.
“I came out of the ring from my last fight thinking, I could have done this and I could have done that. But I’m also saying, I did really well in these sections. I sit down and I have a good look at it [the fight] and we see what we need to focus on during this camp. It’s just about cleaning up the edges on a few of my shots and a few of the movements, and we’ve done that I feel.”
This latest fight will see Murphy back out in the Pavilion Building in Leopardstown Racecourse, which provided the backdrop for her victory over Quintana back in February, and she is relishing the chance to perform again on that stage.
“It’s an amazing venue” she remarked. “The last time I was in Leopardstown was for my second fight in February and that was the first time that I’d ever actually been there.
“The set-up that they have is unreal and JB Promotions have put a lot of hard work into it to get it right. It was fantastic the last time, and, no doubt, it’s only going to be even better this time.”
