Guided by Canadian Olympians, the time is now for boxer Zsolt Daranyi to realize his potential

This is a column by Morgan Campbell, who writes opinion for CBC Sports.  For more information about  CBC's Opinion section , please see the  FAQ .

A glance at Zsolt Daranyi's stats tells you why every trainer and manager who has worked with him has viewed the Toronto resident as a future world champion.

He stands six-foot-one but competes at 147 pounds, dimensions that remind his current trainer of welterweight legend Tommy Hearns. While Hearns, also known as "Hitman," possessed once-in-a-generation punching power, Daranyi, nicknamed "The Phenom," also hits hard — 18 knockouts in 20 pro bouts.

At 28, Daranyi is in his athletic prime. His amateur pedigree, which includes national titles in Canada and his native Hungary, suggests he's world-class, as does his professional peer group. Between bouts, Daranyi serves as a reliable sparring partner to top-ranked welterweight contender Jaron "Boots" Ennis.

So why is his next bout, scheduled for this Saturday, taking place in Brampton, Ont., instead of Las Vegas, against a fringe contender named Alejandro Barrera, instead of a brand-name world champion?

Daranyi blames bad luck, bad timing, and one bad night.

In December 2020, he made his debut on Showtime, the U.S. cable network. A win would have boosted his value to among the sport's heaviest hitters, but Daranyi lost an eight-round decision to journeyman Benjamin Whitaker.

That loss sent Daranyi to the back of a long line of welterweight contenders, and put him on a path that led to Saturday's bout against Barrera. The World Boxing Organization Global title is at stake, but Daranyi says he's fighting for a lot more. 

A world ranking, and the opportunities that come with it.

Daranyi turned pro in 2014 with