IT looks as if Wayne McCullough will be aiming for rich pickings in New York’s world famous boxing mecca of Madison Square Garden when an estimated $2m WBC super-bantamweight title re-match against world champion Daniel Zaragoza is showcased this summer.
“Real War II”, with McCullough’s purse cut expected to be in the region of $750,000, is now being tipped for the Garden in early June.
McCullough ironed out the prospects of another battle with the methodical 39-yearold Hispanic counter-puncher earlier in the week when he issued an apology to WBC president Jose Sulaiman.
As the bitter disappointment of defeat sank in McCullough’s words were angry during the aftermath, his heat-of-the moment condemnation of the result labelling the WBC as corrupt. Sulaiman expressed displeasure with the comments. It was suggested the WBC would ask McCullough to appear before them to explain himself. An apology appears to have sorted the matter out.
[The chance to avenge McCullough’s first professional defeat – in what was voted WBC’s ‘Fight of the Year’ – never arrived. Wayne’s next bout came against another Mexican, Antonio Oscar Salas, in April 1998 in Connecticut, USA.]
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THE Antrim county executive have attempted to ban a special general meeting organised by members of the Casement social club from being held on their own GAA property.
Members thought to be unhappy with the way the club is being administered tried to organise a meeting to be held in St Gall’s clubrooms next Thursday.
However, Casement social club secretary Gerry Barry, who is also the Antrim secretary, last night confirmed that the executive had directed at a meeting on Wednesday night that “the property vested in the GAA should not be used in any such meeting”.
The spokesman for the meeting’s organisers also said members were unhappy with the delay in convening an Annual General Meeting.
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DERRY star Joe Brolly will not be giving up GAA to play soccer, it was confirmed last night. Contrary to reports in several provincial papers during the week, the Dungiven barrister has not joined amateur league soccer team Kilmore Rec.
His fellow Derry team-mate Fergal McCusker last night confirmed that he has been playing for the amateur side for most the season, but scoffed at speculation that Brolly had also joined the Co Down club. “I play on a Saturday for a bit of a laugh but there’s no way Joe will be joining Kilmore Rec or any other soccer team.” he said.
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TYRONE county secretary Dominic McCaughey has dismissed as nonsense a claim that county boards receive commission on the sale of All-Ireland tickets. And Mr McCaughey also hit out at Croke Park over its failure to refute a newspaper report which made the claim.
In his report to this Sunday’s county convention, he says: “It was disturbing to read a report in a national paper indicating that county committees were in receipt of commission on the sales of All-Ireland tickets.
“As far as this county is concerned it can be stated categorically that no commission has been received on ticket sales for All-Ireland semi-finals or finals in either football or hurling.
“It is a matter of much regret that the leadership of the Association at Croke Park has not denied this press report nor attempted to set the record straight, so that clubs and the general membership are not misled”.
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ALEX Ferguson intends retiring as manager of Manchester United when his current contract expires in three years’ time and would love to win the European Champions’ Cup before he stands down.
The Old Trafford boss is already the most successful in the club’s history but he admitted: “I can see the finishing line. When this contract runs out I will be 58 and I can’t see me continuing as manager beyond that.”
Ferguson, who says the conquest of Europe is his main target this season, plans to move ‘upstairs’ into an advisory position if given the chance as United move into the next century.
But he said: “What we achieve this season will have no bearing on the issue. My position at this club won’t be changing before the end of my current contract. “I committed myself to Manchester United for a further three years when I signed this contract and I will definitely see it through.
“I have completed 10 years at Old Trafford and I am as ambitious now as the day I arrived. You never become indifferent to success, or at least I don’t.”
