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Refreshed Tyrone McCullagh eyes McDonald-Buckley winner

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Tyrone McCullagh [7(4)-0] has had a mental month, but the Derry super bantamweight is now ready to aim for titles in the second half of 2017.

Such is scheduling in professional boxing, fighters can often miss out on big events.

Carl Frampton has lamented numerous times about how he has not had a Christmas off in years, while last Summer saw McCullagh [7(4)-0] forced to give up his chance to follow the Irish football team at the European Championships in France as he had a June fight date in Dublin.

This Summer though McCullagh has made up for the loss and is now ready to crack on towards titles, and is keeping an eye on one all-Irish clash in particular.

‘White Chocolate,’ who moved to seven unbeaten last month on the Ryan Burnett v Lee Haskins undercard, told Irish-Boxing.com how “I was definitely dissappointed missing the Euros last year but I’ve made up for it this Summer and had a brilliant month or so with big Tommy McCarthy’s stag in Ibiza and then his and paddy Barnes’s weddings the last few weeks.”

“I’ve also been busy working as well, I’ve my degree in nursing so I pick up shifts when I can but hopefully one day I’ll be able to hang the scrubs up for good!”

“I’ve still been ticking over training wise and I’m looking forward to getting back into full time training. I’m still not too sure when exactly I’ll be out next hopefully September or early October at the latest.”

McCullagh opened the show on the Matchroom card at the SSE Odyssey Arena last month, and upon reflection the Foylesider feels he did enough to warrant a repeat appearance when the Sky cameras return in October or November.

The European bronze medalist noted that “I’d like to think ticket-wise I did my part, especially for a four rounder.”

“I wasn’t too sure on my performance straight after my fight but I’ve had great feedback from others and I read an article last week calling it a career best performance so that was nice sometimes in boxing you can be your own biggest critic.”

The 26 year old southpaw had hoped to fight for the BUI Celtic title on the next Sky Belfast show, and had mentioned Dubliner Carl McDonald [2(0)-0] as a potential opponent – with the Tallaght man also expressing his interest in the fight.

However, McDonald has since signed to fight Bray’s Regan Buckley [1(0)-0] on the Celtic Clash 3 card in Dublin on September 9th.

The title-hungry McCullagh is keen to fight the winner and said that “I’d love to fight either of the two for a BUI Celtic title, preferably Carl because I don’t know if Buckley will stay at the weight.”

“But the fight is there for any of them, whoever wants it.”

“It’s win-win, I’ll get my Celtic title and they can get their five minutes on TV. Let’s make it happen.”

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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