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Carl McDonald feels ready for European level following Scottish shocker


It left a host of Irish fight fans fuming but Carl McDonald saw the funny side of being robbed in Scotland and took only positives from his points reverse to Iain Butcher.

‘The Cobra’ looked odds-on to add the scalp of three time British title challenger to his resume after taking a short notice offer to go to Scotland last month.

The BUI Celtic and Irish champion dropped Butcher in the first round and impressed in many of the proceeding five stanzas but somehow came out on the wrong side of a 58-56 scoreline.

The result shocked and infuriated those watching from Ireland and bemused most neutrals, yet the Tallaght fighter claims it made him laugh.

Indeed, having put defeat in a fight he took at just two days notice behind him with a knockout win just eight days later in Dublin and he reflects positively on his Scottish experience.

“I took nothing only positives out of that,” he told Irish-Boxing.com.

“I know we didn’t get the result, but we did if you know what I mean. Everyone except the referee knew I won. Butcher even congratulated me after it. I don’t mind it honestly. I thought it was funny. I easily won four of the six and one of those four was a 10-8 and I lost by two in the ref’s eyes.”

“Honestly, all you could do was laugh. I went to the corner and told Eddie they will do us here and give us a draw. When I heard the score I thought I got a fair shake then they said his name and all you could do was laugh,” he adds before stressing it won’t deter him from traveling again.

“I am here to figh,t I’d travel again. Look, my record says I lost but I know I didn’t, that is the main thing and when I retire I’ll remember the good performances, not my record. If we get the call to travel again why not?”

While McDonald [6(1)-3(0)] found humour in the defeat, he found confidence in his performance.

The Jobstown fighter managed to drop and outbox a noted fighter on short notice and with less than a weeks worth of punching on an injured hand – and claims that proves he is ready for European level.

“That performance proves a lot to myself. Once I got the Irish title I said I wanted a European ranking and see if I could cut it at European level. Well, Butcher is at the level according to everyone, so I proved I am at that level.”

McDonald was speaking after knocking out David Botos on the ‘Clash of the Titans’ card at the National Stadium courtesy of a perfect right hook to the body.

The first-round stoppage was the 29-year-old’s first as a pro and he believes he is finding his feet in terms of dishing out the power.

“That was my first stoppage. It’s just a couple of more fights in and a bit more experience. I am settling down on my punches a bit more I suppose. I dropped Butcher last week and in the four fights I had last year I dropped two of them.”

“I always knew I could punch but I just wasn’t putting it together. Hopefully I can continue to do that and we will see were it takes us.”

Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)

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Jonny Stapleton

Irish-boxing.com contributor for 15 years and editor for the past decade. Have been covering boxing for over 16 years and writing about sports for a living for over 20 years. Former Assistant Sports editor for the Gazette News Paper Group and former Tallaght Voice Sports Editor. Have had work published in publications around the world when working as a freelance journalist. Also co-founder of Junior Sports Media and Leinster Rugby PRO of the Year winner. email: editoririshboxing@gmail.com

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