STEED Woodall is determined to crash Pody McCrory’s Fall’s Park party when he meets Belfast’s super-middleweight contender in the headline act of Friday night’s Feile an Phobail fight night.
McCrory and Woodall top a nine-fight card at the West Belfast outdoor venue and, with a full training camp behind him, Woodall – Birmingham-born with Irish roots in Dublin and Cork – is confident that he can steal the show and beat the popular home favourite.
Woodall fought in the USA and the Dominican Republic for the first three years of his career but he’s been based in his native Midlands since 2021 and says opportunity knocks for him on Friday night.
“It’s an amazing opportunity,” he said.
“I’m very confident. I’ve boxed for over half my life (he’s 29, six years’ younger than McCrory). I’ve been in with current and former world champions and I feel this is my time now. This opportunity has come up and it’s been fair, I’ve had time to have a full training camp so there’ll be no excuses in this one.
“We’re fully aware that we’re going up against the hometown fighter but that’s something I’ve done my whole career. I’ve always been up against the crowds and the judges and I’ve been the away fighter from the off because I turned pro in America.
“Even recently I went to Poland and won so I’ve got the experience there and I thrive on it.”
McCrory won the IBO light-heavyweight title to cap a superb 2022 but he hasn’t quite been able to get back to that peak since. He will see Friday night as the perfect moment to return to his best form and, if he does, Woodall will have his hands full with ‘The Hammer’.
“He’s been around from a long time, just as I have,” said Woodall.
“It’s an important fight for both of our careers. It’s a great match-up and we both have to perform. I’m confident I can go over and win, absolutely.
“I’ve had a good training camp for this one – my last few fights have been short-notice. I had a week and-a-half for the last one but I’ve had a full camp of sparring for this. We’ve brought different guys in and I’ve had a chance to do all my conditioning, my running… So I’m just looking forward to bringing the best version of myself.
“I’m in the best shape of my life. I’ve trained incredibly hard for this – I’ve left no stone unturned and I’m sure Pody has done that as well. I think we’ll put on a brilliant performance for the fans.”
Woodall was out of action between 2017 and 2021 but he has three wins behind him in preparation for Friday night. However, there’s no question that he is going up in class against 17-0 McCrory for whom Falls Park has been a very happy hunting ground in the past.
“I’m not looking past this fight and I hope Pody hasn’t made the mistake of looking past me either,” said the Englishman who will be doing 12 rounds for the first time (if the fight goes the distance).
“We’re both at the point of ours careers where we do want to push on and the ultimate goal is to fight for a world title. I don’t look too much into Pody’s recent performances – boxing is a sport where you do have off days.
“You have to look at it one fight at a time and it’s what you bring on the night. One punch can change a fight and I’m expecting the best version of him – he can expect the best version of me too.”
McCrory’s win in Germany over Leon Bunn extended his sequence of stoppage wins to five. He’s been taken the distance in his last two outings but Woodall will need to be wary of the power of the St James’s box/fighter.
“We’re aware of his attributes,” said Woodall.
“He’s a strong, fit guy and he’s experienced. I’ve heard that the Belfast fans are brilliant so I’m looking forward to getting out there even though I’m sure everyone at the venue will be screaming for Pody.
“My Irish family are coming up – my uncle and cousins – and I’ve got some friends and family flying over so I’ll be doing it for them.”
LEIGH Wood will defend his WBA Featherweight world title against Josh Warrington at the Utilita Arena Sheffield on Saturday October 7 (live on DAZN).
Nottingham favourite Wood (27-3) beat Mexico’s hard-hitting dangerman Mauricio Lara to reclaim his WBA 126lb crown last time out in May and become a two-time World Champion.
Former Carl Frampton opponent Warrington (31-2-1) is aiming to become a three-time Featherweight champion after losing his IBF belt to Michael Conlan conqueror Luis Alberto Lopez in Leeds last December.
‘The Leeds Warrior’ has been out of action since his loss to Lopez and is eager to return to the top of the division. A win over his British rival will put him in pole position for a unification rematch with Lopez.
THE Terence Crawford era has begun, said the man himself, after he blew away long-term rival Errol Spence in Las Vegas last Saturday night.
A fight that had been speculated over for years began with Spence shading the opening round but he was out-jabbed, out-thought and out-fought by clever Crawford who always seemed a few moves ahead of him.
A whiplash one-two counter dropped Spence in the second round and ‘Bud’ was in command from there on and he began to unfurl his extensive repertoire and arsenal and break the Texan down.
A thunderous uppercut sent Spence crashing to the canvas again in the seventh. He was back on his feet quickly but on unsteady legs and Crawford went for the kill, dropping him again with a thumping right hand. The bell saved Spence and he boxed on bravely throughout the eighth and he mustered the energy for a last-ditch all-out assault in the ninth. He was wild but Crawford picked his shots and after Spence had been stunned by a right hook the referee moved in to call it off.
"Each and every time I stepped up, I proved you all wrong - each time," Crawford scolded the press afterwards.
"Write some great stories about Terence Crawford. Don't hate, don't say nothing negative, just give me my props. For all you guys who doubted me, this is the Terence Crawford era."
Naoya Innoue’s statement victory over Steven Fulton in Tokyo last week prompted calls for him to be installed as the global pound-for-pound king but it may have been the shortest reign in history after Crawford’s majestic showing raised the bar to take the crown.
“I'm up there,” said Crawford.
“I always want to pay homage to the fighters who came before me - without them there is no me.
“This is a fight that's been talked about for many years. When I walk in the store, everybody asking me: ‘When you fighting Spence? When you fighting Spence? Dad, this dude say you're scared of Spence’.
“Me always having to hear this guy's name, it's like a breath of fresh air that I get to breathe because we finally done it.”
