International Boxing: Pody McCrory (18-1) v Leonard Carrillo (17-5) (Friday, SSE Arena, live on ProBox TV from 7pm)
THE disappointment hung like thick smog in Pody McCrory’s dressing room back in February in Orlando.
Beaten for the first time, put down for the first time, stopped for the first time… McCrory was crestfallen but it wasn’t just the loss, it was the fact that he failed to show what he could do.
He didn’t give a true account of himself against Edgar Berlanga and said afterwards that maybe he “wasn’t at that level”.
That was too harsh. In boxing you have to roll the dice and McCrory went to Berlanga’s backyard where everything, everything, was stacked against him at the Caribe Royale.
After he struggled to close the distance on the elusive Puerto Rican with a series of big left hands, he panicked a little and left himself exposed.
Berlanga – who went the distance with ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in September - finished it in the sixth.
McCrory spent time in the wilderness mulling over his future and he could have taken the decision to hang them up and go and do something else with his life but, after the dust settled, he realised he had more to give and on Friday night he returns against big-hitting Columbian Leonard Carrillo.
Sixteen of Barcelona-based Carrillo’s 17 wins have come by knockout so it’s a decent bet that this one won’t go the distance because, as Irish fight fans know, McCrory also brings plenty of ‘dope’.
“It’s a complete and utter shootout,” agreed Jamie Conlan of Conlan Boxing.
“It doesn’t go past eight rounds. Carrillo is deceptive, laid-back but he carries this weird, gangly strength and punches from wide angle.
“Pody has to be careful and be on it from the first second because every punch can cause damage. The flipside is Carrillo doesn’t like the heavy-handed punchers so I really think we’re in for a treat.”
On the undercard, Kurt Walker faces Rudy Garcia in a clash of styles between the Irish box-fighter and the all-out aggressive US-Mexican.
“Garcia really fancies it,” said Conlan.
“He’s managed by Canelo’s brother-in-law and they’ve come with a full team and with real confidence – they’re really up for it.
“Kurt has the skills and style to handle him but it’s really a ‘pick ‘em’ fight. If Kurt wants to make progress in the featherweight division, these are the styles he has to handle.
“If he comes through this we’re looking at a big fight early next year for him so this is a kind of final hurdle.”
Meanwhile, Ruadhan ‘Rudy’ Farrell first joust with Connor Kerr back in March was an absolute barnburner over eight rounds which Farrell won on points.
Conlan predicts that their rematch (over 10 rounds) will take up from where the last one finished.
“Both guys felt they won it last time, both guys feel they know how to win this time and they feel they’ve improved from the last one so I think we’re in for a cracker,” he said.
“Both lads will stands in the middle of the ring like they did in the first fight. It’ll be intriguing to see who can handle the pace better.”
November 1, SSE Arena fight card:
Light-heavyweight: Padraig McCrory (18-1) v Leonard Carrillo (17-5)
Super-lightweight: Robbie Davies Jr (23-5) v Javier Fortuna (38-4-1)
Featherweight: Kurt Walker (11-0) v Rudy Garcia (13-1-1)
Boxing Union of Ireland Irish Super-Bantamweight (vacant): Ruadhan Farrell (5-1-1) v Connor Kerr (3-1)
Super-Bantamweight: Matthew Boreland (3-0) v Calum Turnbull (5-3)
Featherweight: Colm Murphy (12-0) v Erick Omar Lopez (16-18-2)
