Troy Isley and world-renowned trainer Brian “BoMac” McIntyre knew each other since Isley was an amateur. It is a relationship that grew in time. When Isley thought he needed to make a change from Kay Koroma, he found McIntyre, The Ring and BWAA 2023 Trainer of the Year.

Their first fight together was Isley’s eight-round unanimous decision over southpaw Vladimir Hernandez last November. The 25-year-old middleweight’s second fight with BoMac will occur this Saturday in an eight-rounder against Marcos Hernandez on the Luis Alberto Lopez-Reiya Abe IBF featherweight title fight from the Turning Stone Resort & Casino, in Verona, New York.

Isley (11-0, 4 knockouts) will be making his 2024 debut on the nine-fight Top Rank card, which will also feature Otabek Kholmatov against Ray Ford for the vacant WBA featherweight title.

Isley envisions himself fighting for a title soon.

Teaming with McIntyre, he feels, is a strong step in getting there.

Isley has a distinguished amateur past. He was a 2021 U.S. Olympian who lost in the second round of the middleweight division to Russian Gleb Bakshi in a disputed 3-2 decision. In 2017, he was a bronze medalist at the amateur World Championships. Won gold at the 2016 and 2017 U.S. Championships, a bronze medal at the 2019 Pan American Games, and a silver medal at the 2016 National Golden Gloves.

Isley, who stands 5-foot-10 and signed with Top Rank in 2021, wants to get in the ring as many times as he can this year.

“I think I’m three or four shots away from a title,” Isley said. “The (Vladimir) Hernandez was my first with BoMac and I learned a lot. Hernandez was a pressure fighter and I learned I need to fight at my own pace. If I slowed my pace down, I could have done better. These guys have more experience than me and I think it is good I was tested like that. I have had some tough fights as an amateur and it prepared me for those moments.

“BoMac has brought out a lot in me. You will see Saturday night. People are going to see a new and improved ‘Transformer.’ Everyone looked past me, they still do. I can’t wait to show everyone on Saturday night that I am not going to be looked over anymore.”

Isley knows Marcos Hernandez (16-6-2, 3 KOs) will bring pressure. The 30-year-old veteran is 2-2-1 over his last five fights. He has been stopped twice in his career, by Anthony Dirrell and Jeison Rosario.

In the short time McIntyre has been with Isley, he has been pleased. He likes how Isley cracks.

“Troy is phenomenal,” BoMac said. “He has the whole package. He can box his ass off. He can put pressure on you. He has some pop to him. What I really like is he has good ring knowledge. I had been helping his old coach Kay, and when Troy was ready to make a move when I stuck in Manchester, England, Troy came to one of my people. When I got home, Troy was in camp with us and it flowed like water.  He has a really bright future. I can’t wait for people to see what he is capable of doing.”

Joseph Santoliquito is hall of fame, award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Follow @JSantoliquito [twitter.com]

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