McCullough all fired up for Madison Square Garden comeback

BOXING NEWS: WAYNE McCULLOUGH will hit the comeback trail next month still harbouring hopes of another world title shot.

The 38-year-old 1992 Olympic silver medalist and former WBC bantamweight champion from Belfast will face an as yet unnamed opponent at the Madison Square Garden Theatre on March 16th as the co-feature on a card topped by Irish middleweight prospect Andy Lee.

For McCullough, the St Patrick’s Day eve promotion will be his first fight in nine months and only the second since losing a rematch with Oscar Larios for the Mexican’s WBC super-bantamweight title in July 2005.

Yet the self-trained “Pocket Rocket” told a New York press conference, called by fight promoters Irish Ropes via a video link from his Las Vegas home, he is confident he can get back on the world stage within the next 12 months.

“I’m back,” McCullough declared. “I’m looking to get back in there. I would like to be promoted the right way, get a few fights and then maybe by the end of this year get a big championship fight.

“I haven’t been promoted right over the last decade and I’m just looking forward to working with Irish Ropes and (fellow New York promoter) Cedric Kushner.”

McCullough brushed aside suggestions that three defeats in his last three outings that leave his professional record at 27-7 (13 KOs) mean he is a spent force.

“I think it depends on what level you fight at,” he said. “My first fight with Larios (in February 2005), most people thought I’d won, including the television commentators.

“Of course, I didn’t get the decision but I lost at the top level. If I’d have lost at club fighter level then I wouldn’t be talking about fighting. That’s why I know I can still keep fighting.”

McCullough said he was excited about being able to fight in New York for the first time in 16 years, his last appearance coming in his second pro fight, a third-round knockout of Sergio Ramirez.

“I’m thankful that Irish Ropes and Cedric Kushner are bringing me to the East Coast.

“I fought (Naseem) Hamed in Atlantic City (in 1998) and I fought (Daniel) Zaragoza in Boston (in 1997) and my second pro fight was at Madison Square Garden in March 1993, a long time ago.

“So I’m looking forward to getting back in there and saying to the fans that I’m back. It’s going to be great fighting on St Patrick’s Day Eve in New York City, it’s been a dream, and I’m really looking forward to it.”

So too is Lee (16-1, 13 KOs), the Limerick middleweight trained and managed in Detroit by Emanuel Steward. The Irish 2004 Olympian faces three-time world title challenger Antwun Echols (31-9-4, 27 KOs).

“I was a kid in London in 1992 and the whole Irish community was watching him (McCullough) at the Olympics,” said Lee. “I’ve been talking to Wayne all through my career, as an amateur and since I’ve been a pro. He’s been like a mentor to me, giving me advice and to be sharing a card with him is an honour.”

Lee has big plans of his own if he can get past Echols.

“This could be a good year for me, a big year. If I can win this fight and go on and win a few more I’ll be right up there in the top-10 ratings and by the end of the year I’ll be knocking on the door of the middleweight championship of the world.”