Wayne's world collapses after cyst is revealed

The former world bantamweight champion and Olympic silver medallist Wayne McCullough yesterday broke down in tears at a press conference at the Post House Hotel in Belfast after being told that he should not fight again.

A British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC) scan taken on October 12th discovered a two-inch cyst on McCullough's brain, prompting fears about the fighter's general health as much as his boxing career.

McCullough's comeback bout against the 26-year-old Hungarian Sandor Koczak, scheduled for tonight in the King's Hall Belfast, was to be the fighter's first in his home town since 1995. That has now been cancelled.

On receiving the results of the scan, McCullough immediately travelled to Dublin yesterday morning where he sought a second opinion. He was subsequently given a clean bill of health by doctors in Tallaght hospital. However, in spite of the positive news in Dublin, the BBBC failed to sanction the fight and McCullough was informed that his career is over.

Sky Sports, who were to screen the contest as a prelude to the Mike Tyson-Andrew Golota heavyweight bout taking place in the US, announced that the fight was off yesterday morning when they said that the Belfast boxer had failed a routine pre-fight medical examination. "They (BBBC) told me that I could not fight again. I was with my wife and daughter. I just broke down in tears," said McCullough, as he recounted the moment he was informed of the failed scan.

McCullough again burst into tears at the press conference before being comforted by his wife and manager Cheryl. The fighter then composed himself enough to speak of the confusion in his mind following the two conflicting pieces of medical evidence.

"The first scan (taken in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast) found a two-inch cyst on my brain, but today the doctor couldn't see anything," he said, pointing to the Dublin X-rays which he had brought along to the press conference and laid in front of him on the table. He also added that a week on from the British Board examination, he had yet to see a copy of the scan from the Royal Victoria.

Throughout yesterday confusion reigned. When the boxer was in Dublin for a second opinion, a spokesman for McCullough denied that the fight was off.

The fight was to be a stepping stone towards what he and his wife hoped would be another shot at a world title.

He won his title in July 1995 when he travelled to Japan and, against the odds, became the first Irishman to win the WBC Bantamweight belt.

McCullough held that until January 1997 and subsequently challenged for another three world titles. He fought David Zaragoza for the WBC super-bantamweight title, but lost on a controversial split decision, before facing the mercurial Naseem Hamed for the WBO featherweight title in October 1998. He took Naseem the distance - the first time that happened in the Sheffield boxer's career - but again lost the bout.

McCullough, irrepressibly coming forward, also took Erik Morales to a close decision but was also defeated after a bruising encounter. The last time he fought in Belfast was in a WBC bantamweight title defence, against Johnny Bredahl, in the King's Hall in December 1995. McCullough's amateur career also sparkled. Not only did he win the silver medal at the Barcelona Olympics, but he also took bronze in the World Cup in India in 1992 and a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games in New Zealand in 1990.

This latest news uncannily mirrors the cases of two other Belfast boxers, Ray Close and John Lowey, both of whom failed BBBC scans but were later cleared to fight in the United States and, in the case of Close, the Republic of Ireland.

For most of his pro career, McCullough was forced, because of contractual obligations to former manager Mat Tinley, to fight in America where he was a major draw for pay-per-view audiences. Based in Las Vegas, he was renowned for his fighting ability, endurance and hard chin - and, unfortunately, his lack of a knockout punch.

However, McCullough recently signed a three-fight deal with Dan Goosen of America Presents and was ranked at four in the WBC list. McCullough had also been hoping to fight in Dublin in the near future - assuming he won the bout with Koczak.