MARC McCULLOUGH says he’ll bounce back stronger than ever when he returns to action on the Lift Off show at Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Arena on Friday, October 16.
Former WBO European Featherweight champion McCullough was caught cold in his last outing in Germany in July when he suffered a first round defeat to Hungary’s Zoltan Kovacs, but the talented 25-year-old intends to get back on track in Scotland.
The Irish featherweight champ is making his comeback to the ring following a recent loss in Germany on a bill which also features the Celtic Super-Featherweight title clash between Belfast’s Anthony Cacace and the home professional debut of Scottish Commonwealth Games gold medallist Josh Taylor.
“I’m pleased to be back in action again,” said McCullough.
“It was a gutting loss for me in the last fight but all great champions have to go through things like that, I know I can come back stronger and October the 16th in Edinburgh is the start of that journey for me.
“I can’t wait to get back in the ring and get back to doing what I do best.”
Cyclone Promotions promoter Blain McGuigan added: “This is a great opportunity for Marc to get back out and back into the winning groove.
“There are plenty of big fights out there for Marc and we believe he can be competing in some big domestic scraps in the very near future.
“Marc’s last fight was not ideal; there were changes to the date and venue for that fight that were unfortunately out of our control. Marc is a very talented boxer who can still go on to achieve big things in this sport.”
In the co-main event Anthony ‘The Apache’ Cacace, 12 – 0, faces the toughest test of his professional boxing career when he boxes Dundee’s Ronnie ‘The Shark’ Clark, 13 – 2 – 2, for the vacant Celtic Super Featherweight title.
Also on the show Scottish 2012 Olympian Josh Taylor boxes for the second time as a professional in the co-main event when he takes on Hungarian champion Adam Mate (15-5).
TYSON FURY will quit boxing if he loses to Wladimir Klitschko in Germany next month.
The former Irish heavyweight champion (24-0) takes on WBO, WBA, and IBF champion Klitschko (64-3) at Duesseldorf’s ESPRIT arena on October 24 and says: “If I can’t knock him out then I must be useless. If I can’t beat a 40-year-old man, I need banning from boxing.
“If I can’t, then I won’t be boxing on because I won’t be able to achieve and get my goals.
“He’s 40 years old. If I can’t knock him out then it doesn’t say a lot of me – a 27-year-old in the prime of his life. He’s been knocked out three times.”
Fury is supremely confident of beating ‘Dr Steelhammer’ and claims the Ukranian-born veteran hasn’t “fought anyone of note”.
“That’s where I come in to it – Every 10, 15 or 20 years there’s a man who comes along and wipes everyone out,” he said.
“We’re in a bad era of heavyweights but I tell you what I’m looking forward to – going in there and writing this fellow off.
“He thinks he’s perfected his style with his long reach and his jab-and-grab style but he’s never fought anyone like me. I’m a 6ft 9in man who can move and throw different shapes around the ring. He’s fought big men who can’t move and small men who are small and can’t get to him.”
The Duesseldorf showdown will be a clash of styles – Fury loves a scrap while Klitschko likes to jab and spoil – and it is also a clash of personalities.
“I don’t like him, for one,” said Fury.
“I don’t think he’s an ambassador and has ruined the heavyweight division.”
“People say he’s a great champion, clean-shaved, un-tattooed, great manners, very educated. So what? He’s boring and has ruined the division as far as I’m concerned.”
“He’s got as much personality as the wall I’m looking at in front of me.”
RIGHT HOOKS
JOSH WARRINGTON successfully defended his Commonwealth featherweight title by claiming victory by unanimous decision against Australia’s Joel Brunker.
The Yorkshireman put in an assured display from start to finish, leaving Brunker visibly bloodied, as he claimed a points victory at the First Direct Arena.
Warrington was scored 120-108 in favour on all three cards to reflect his dominance as he remained undefeated against the Australian, who has now lost twice in 30 fights.
JAMIE McDONNELL retained his WBA world bantamweight title with a unanimous points decision in his rematch with Tomoki Kameda.
The judges scored 116-111, 115-112, 117-110 in the 29-year-old's favour as he enjoyed a successful return to Texas, where he also won on points in the first encounter in May having picked himself up from a third-round knockdown.
This time it was Kameda who hit the canvas in the final round, although a slip also contributed to his fall.
“Everything went to plan. The fight was easier than the last. I felt in control,” said McDonnell after holding onto the title he first claimed in May 2014.
GEORGE GROVES says his stamina won’t be an issue when he takes on Sweden’s Badou Jack for the WBC super middleweight title fight in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Groves-Jack is on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather's welterweight showdown with Andre Berto, amid ongoing concerns about his stamina and Londoner ‘Saint George’ says Jack will make a serious mistake if he expects him to tire in the later rounds.
“I can use it to my advantage,” said Groves.
“You’re never going to be as fresh in the first round as you are in the last. But at the same time, I always finish strong.
“I’ve been 12 rounds before in high-intensity fights, fights which I’ve won, in which I haven’t faltered.
“It’s nice that a few people in the media, usually with an agenda, will say something, and then it catches fire and everyone jumps on it.
“Anyone who wants to base a gameplan around me, around stamina, hoping that I'm gonna fade and get tired... I’d never do that for any fight, because one day that guy ain’t gonna get tired, and I certainly ain’t gonna get tired.
“I’m gonna be full-steam ahead, from the first second to the last, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Groves also came out in support of trainer Paddy Fitzpatrick. The Clare native has also been criticised in the wake of Groves scratchy recent performances against Christopher Rebrasse and Denis Douglin.
“Myself and Paddy have come under criticism since we’ve been working together,” he said.
“But the first fight we had together [the first fight with Froch], we was only working together for 10 weeks, and I dropped the champion of the world, and had Matchroom and the referee take it away from me.”
