The 34-year-old former Irish amateur standout entered the fray with a 2-2 record over his last four outings, and that recent run showed in the way he carried himself. He looked hesitant for long stretches, reluctant to let his hands go and too aware of what might happen if he opened up.
Walsh treated the fight like an opening rather than an assignment. “It was a close fight, but I did it. It’s my time,” he said afterward, and his approach reflected that attitude from the start.
Conlan worked in his usual measured style early on, touching with the right and setting up the left, but the intent felt cautious. When he was tagged in the second round after taking a right hand, the pace dropped further, and he began to clock in with his corner instead of building control. The accuracy was there in flashes, but the volume never followed.
Walsh filled that void. He stayed on the front foot, mixed up his attacks and kept throwing even when the shots weren’t always clean. It wasn’t that Walsh looked particularly sharp or dominant, but he was active, willing and consistent. Conlan, by comparison, never seemed settled or fully committed to taking on the fight.
The last round summed it up. Walsh went after it, increasing his output and forcing turnovers. Conlan remained conservative, relying on position rather than activity. In a fight with little between them, that difference carried weight.
It was positioned as a chance for Conlan to stabilize himself after defeats to Leigh Wood, Luis Alberto Lopez and Jordan Gill. Instead, it added another setback, this time against an opponent without a record at this level.
At this point, it’s hard to make a case for him returning to title contention.
