Best Man to Main Man – Big Week Ahead for Callum Bradley
Life is moving fast for Omagh boxer Callum Bradley as he juggles best man duties with headlining an event for the first time in his young professional career.
Brother Aaron gets married the week before Bradley tops the bill at the Sheer Sports ‘Rumble in the Hills’ show at the Aura Complex in Letterkenny. His other older brother Tiernan is also fighting on the same card – the first time the Bradley boys have shared the stage in the paid ranks.
“It’s massive!” Callum said. “It’s going to be a mad couple of weeks with the wedding and then the two of us boxing on the same night. We’ve never boxed together on a pro show, and I think this is the closest professional show we could possibly have to Omagh, so it’s great.
“I’ll certainly be more at home in the ring than I will be the week before as I’ve got to do the best man’s speech sober!
“I was actually just looking at old photos of when I was eight years old, around the time I went to watch Paul McCloskey box Cesar Bazan at the same venue that I’m headlining 18 years later. Hopefully I’ll have big nights like him too.”
The unbeaten 26-year-old has so far boxed six times in Belfast and once over the water in Bolton. Each time he’s brought a small army of noisy supporters to cheer him on, most recently when he put in a stellar performance against tough Nicaraguan Darwing Martinez.
It will be a similar story when the Bradley crew make the short journey across the River Foyle from Tyrone into Donegal.
“It’s only 30miles from home and I have a lot of people who follow me from Strabane which is only half an hour from Letterkenny, so I’ll have a good few supporting me. It’s a different night out than the usual shows in Belfast.
“I used to go out a lot in Letterkenny a few years ago, it’s brilliant, and I fought a lot in Donegal as an amateur. It’s great that a lot of people there remember me.”
Bradley added: “I want to put in a performance similar to last time. Hit, don’t get hit, but excite the crowd. Put on a show and keep everyone on their feet!”
When he’s not training with fellow professionals at Corpus Christi Boxing Club in Belfast, the Tyrone native works as a personal trainer and boxing coach from his home gym – all under the watchful eye of constant companion, Canelo the Rottweiler.
“He’s with me all the time when I train. He sniffs about and keeps an eye on me when I’m on the bags. I used to run with him all the time as well, but he’s getting a bit old now, he’s seven, so he doesn’t do as much!”
While the pooch may be slowing down a little, the same cannot be said for a man hunting down titles. With his management team – David McGinley Sport and Project Boxing (co-founded by former world champion Anthony Crolla) – the plan is simple: keep winning in style.
“In a few more fights I’ll be really ready to go. Hopefully then, the big promoters will want me on the big shows. That’s the plan anyway!”
Photo Credit MM Photography
