Not quite ‘my way or the high way’, but Belfast coach John Breen believes he will have to sit down with Marco McCullough and lay down ground rules before moving forward.

Breen threw in the towel during round seven of the Belfast ticket seller’s Commonwealth title clash with Isaac Lowe, but was adamant he had no other choice as his charge was putting in the ‘worst performance of his career’.

The Belfast coach, who frustratingly saw Paul McCloskey lose to Amir Khan at the same venue, is adamant McCullough is 100 times the fighter Lowe is and felt his charge should have had no problem winning on the massive Frampton versus Quigg undercard.

Breen believes a new water diet is the reason the Belfast featherweight sunk to a third career defeat.

“I said in the round before Marc I am going to throw the towel in and he said ‘don’t you fucking dare’, but half way through that round he looked like he was exhausted. He said to me after the fifth ‘I don’t feel right’. He started a new water diet and I hate blaming anybody, but it wasn’t my way of training,” an open and frank Breen said after the fight.

“He started that water diet and work with a new conditioner and personally speaking that was the worst performance Marc McCullough ever had.”

“I thought he was well down on the cards, after the first couple of rounds I thought it was level, but  Marc wasn’t getting the punches off.”

Breen claims he was open to McCullough’s desire to mix a more scientific approach with a more tried and tested method, but on reflection suggests it failed.

The Belfast trainer now believes a discussion is needed moving forward.

“He changed everything. My game plan was to spar everyday, but he wanted to do Monday, Wednesday and Friday he said the conditioning was too hard to do two a day so I worked with him, but that was the worst performance I have ever seen. It’s breaking my heart because I know Marc McCullough is a 100 times better a fighter than Isaac Lowe.”

“Lowe was just flicking out a wee jab and running, he was stealing points. I was telling Marc to keep working him, but he couldn’t get them off at all. My boxers, when they are fighting for a title are always on the weight the week before the fight and then you got to take off what you put on, it’s up to you.”

“I let Marc do it the way he wanted to and I can honestly say that’s the worst performance I have seen from  Marc. I will have to sit down and talk with him, I don’t think that worked for him there tonight.”

“Whether or not he will blame it on that I don’t know. Marc wanted to fight on, but there is no argument there he was getting hit with too many punches and wasn’t taking
them like he used to.”