Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Dillian Whyte; three of the biggest names in heavyweight boxing, and Thomas Carty has already shared the ring with the terrifying trio.
Dublin native Carty is only five fights into his blossoming professional career, however, he is gaining valuable experience outside of the competitive arenas, working hard in boxing gyms across these islands, sparring the very best in the world.
Tall, strong, agile, and aggressive, Carty is proving the ideal training partner for the heavyweight contenders, and his southpaw stance is another attribute that is making him such an attractive proposition.
The reputation is continuing to build, and in the two years since he has turned to the paid ranks of the sport, he has established a world class team around him to guide him up the ladder to the potential blockbusting fights of this marquee division.
Carty trains out of the renowned Celtic Warrior Gym in Dublin under the tutelage of Paschal Collins, brother of former world champion Steve, while the aforementioned Whyte – a world title challenger – is managing his emerging career.
More importantly, perhaps, Carty has caught the eye of the esteemed Matchroom Promotions outfit, and has established a relationship with top man Eddie Hearn, who is the man responsible for bringing big time boxing back to the capital.
Katie Taylor finally gets to fight as a professional on home soil on Saturday night as she takes on Chantelle Cameron for the English champions' undisputed super lightweight belts.
A packed out Point Depot will provide the backdrop for the historic occasion by the banks of the Liffey, and local lad Carty is certainly planning to play his part in proceedings.
The Carty Party will be in full effect on the undercard of the main event at the 3Arena as the Phibsboro fighter’s growing band of supporters will make the short stroll along the quayside to see their boy in action.
Five fights into a professional boxing career, most would still be keeping the head down, avoiding the limelight, remaining in apprenticeship mode, however, Carty’s momentum appears to be building at a fast pace, and there is already a belt on the line for this sixth fight.
Granted, the BUI (Boxing Union of Ireland) Celtic heavyweight belt would not rank among the aspirations of any young boxer stepping into the professional game, however, it brings with it a certain amount of prestige and added expectation.
It should also bump Carty up the bill a few notches to ensure that he will box on the live television schedule on such a prestigious night in world boxing.
"Training was done for this fight four weeks ago," said Carty, speaking to RTÉ Sport ahead of the fight, referencing victory number five that came courtesy of a first round knockout of Miloslav Pavek at the iconic York Hall in Bethnal Green in April.
"My last camp went well, and I got a first round knockout in London, so it couldn’t have gone better to be honest.
"Each camp I have done so far, I have improved, I gained experience, I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t and I’m getting better and better. And that’s the way it should be.
"I’m the best that I’ve ever been."
Saturday’s opponent Jay McFarlane is also adding value to the bout, talking trash and attempting to goad the young gun into a brawl on Saturday night.
The two boxers are certainly on different paths and sit at completely opposite ends of the sporting spectrum, as fitness fanatic Carty meets the man who takes a certain amount of pride in the fact that he does not go to the gym.
"Let’s just hope he can fight as good as he can talk because his track record suggests otherwise," said Carty, regarding McFarlane, who has won 14 but lost seven of his 21 professional bouts.
"I can talk as well, but I’d rather do my talking in the ring. Let’s see what he does on fight night.
"Since I’ve turned pro, I’ve probably missed three weeks in the gym in total, and his retaliation was that since he turned pro he has probably done three weeks in the gym.
"We’re in different leagues. Premier League and League 3 stuff as far as I’m concerned. I’m trying to leave a legacy, he’s trying to pay bills.
"Boxer versus fighter indeed, but believe me, I can fight if I want, but why would I bother. He will see."
Learning on the job, Carty admits that he is still improving as a boxer, however, he gained real belief from the sparring sessions that he completed, mixing it with the elite of the heavyweight division.
Helping a top fighter prepare for a big fight can be a thankless task at times, yet in Carty’s case it has worked on several fronts to his advantage, from instilling belief to making the right connections to guide him through to world level.
"I sparred with Derek Chisora, which was my first big opportunity, and I met with (former world champion) David Haye.
"Word travels fast as it’s a small community, heavyweight boxing. I’ve sparred (cruiserweight world champion) Lawrence Okolie for his two world title camps.
"I did 16 weeks with AJ (Anthony Joshua) altogether, and most recently I did a week with Tyson Fury. Tyson is amazing. He is exactly as you would consider him to be judging by his videos.
"People say 'you were only over there as his punchbag'. But I explain to them, people get sent home left right and centre. If they are not up to standard, they are gone.
"You get paid decent money with this sparring, but if you’re not worth it, and you’re not up to the task, they just send you on your way.
"I’ve never been sent home from a training camp, and then with Dillian Whyte, I ended up getting signed on a managerial contract from the way I was sparring and the way I was impressing.
"AJ changed the game for boxing. We owe an awful lot to AJ for what he has done for the sport, and Eddie Hearn is a genius businessman."
And if a debt of gratitude is owed to the London 2012 champion, who went on to dominate the heavyweight division, while selling out Wembley Stadium and the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Carty admits that a similar appreciation is owed to fellow Olympic gold medallist, Katie Taylor, for what she has also contributed to the sport, which is perhaps at the height of its popularity in this generation, at least.
A former amateur team-mate of Taylor, Carty has nothing but respect and admiration for his old friend who is rightfully headlining a sold out arena in Ireland for the first time as a professional boxer.
"I know Katie well," said Carty. "I was in the Irish national high performance set-up at the same time that Katie was winning all her medals.
"We were chatting away there at the press conference, and we really do owe her so much for what she has done for Irish boxing."
"I genuinely can’t give you an answer," said Carty, when asked of his expectations for the primetime show on Saturday night, that will be watched by millions worldwide.
"But I think it will be far better than anything you can imagine. It will be unseen in Ireland for a boxing event, or any event, because boxing fans are nuts. I’m really looking forward to soaking up the atmosphere."
Just days away from the big fight, and with all the work done in the gym, Carty is planning to keep things low key in the build up to the fight.
"Fight week routine, I do a lot of walking and try to get as much fresh air as I can," said Carty. "I try to keep myself calm and collected, spend some time with my girlfriend, as I don’t get to see too much of her when I am in training camp.
"Keep it nice and relaxed, nothing too crazy but nothing too different either, I just do my own thing and keep ticking the boxes."
And while Carty knows that his stock is rising and will continue to do so should he take care of business, as expected, on Saturday night, he is loathe to look beyond the upcoming contest nor speak of the sport until his well-deserved post-fight holiday is done and dusted.
"I’m not looking beyond this fight, as after this fight I’m going on holiday, and the word boxing is being banned. I’m going analogue for a month."
And while he is not making any predictions, there is a vision of the future, and it combines two of his other great loves in life, that being the dulcet tones of fellow Dubliner Damien Dempsey and his local football team, Bohemians.
"There’s been no Irish heavyweight champion recently, so there has been no one to copy off," said Carty.
"I’m kind of trailblazing, so who knows where the journey will take us. But it starts with the Celtic title on Saturday and we’ll build from there.
"My idol is Damien Dempsey; I’m his number one fan. I was looking for him to sing me out for a fight before, but it clashed with a gig.
"We’ll keep it for the homecoming at Dalymount Park."
Follow a live blog of Chantelle Cameron v Katie Taylor for the undisputed super-lightweight world title from the 3Arena on Saturday night on the RTÉ News app or RTÉ.ie/Sport
