Padraig McCrory’s ‘Last Dance’—But Keeler or Quigley Could Call Tempt an Encore
Padraig McCrory is preparing to take his final bow — but the Belfast fighter admits there’s still a chance the music might not stop just yet.
The 37-year-old has confirmed his June return at the Waterfront will be his “last dance”, a one-night send-off designed to bring closure to one of the more celebrated Irish boxing professional careers.
But in a twist that adds intrigue to the farewell, ‘The Hammer’ has revealed two names that could yet pull him back onto the dance floor for an encore.
“This is the last dance. It’s a send-off,” McCrory stated when speaking to Irish-boxing.com.
“My last performance wasn’t great and I wanted to finish pro boxing on my terms and on more of a feel-good feeling.”
As it stands, the plan is simple: one final fight, one final moment, and a definitive goodbye.
But boxing rarely sticks to the script — and McCrory knows it. Speaking to Irish-boxing.com, the IBO title winner admitted either Luke Keeler or Jason Quigley could tempt him to prolong his goodbye.
“If there was one thing to keep me in boxing, it would be one of them,” he said, referencing domestic rivals Keeler and Quigley.
“If an offer came for Jason Quigley or Luke Keeler, I could not say no.
“That’s the only thing that would keep me in boxing. Nothing else.”
Former world middleweight title challengers Quigley and Keeler are in talks to fight each other on the undercard of Katie Taylor’s proposed Croke Park extravaganza. If, for any reason, that bout doesn’t materialize, the Belfast working-class hero would gladly step in. Whether he, or the aforementioned duo would find beyond August remains to be seen.
For now, the focus remains on June — a farewell performance, a chance to rewrite the final chapter, and an opportunity to exit the sport on his own terms.
