Cork prospect Danny Keating discusses Wayne McCullough link up

Danny Keating [3(3)-0] is excited about working with the his former masters most famous apprentice.

The Cork fighter learnt everything he knows under the watchful of Cuban Nicolas Hernandez Cruz, a Cuban Irish boxing great, who is credited as one of the masterminds behind Ireland’s Barcelona Olympic success.

One of those who benefited from Cruz’s coaching was Wayne McCullough, an Irish fight legend in his own right, and now the professional coach of Keating.

The Australian based, Las Vegas bound Rebel can’t wait to now get to work with a coach, who also trained under the great Goody Petronelli.

“Wayne is a legend in the game and somebody I looked up to in my career,” Keating told Irish-boxing.com.

“My long time amateur Cuban coach Nicolas Hernandez Cruz also trained Wayne for the Olympic Games.”

Interestingly enough the link up didn’t come about via Cruz, rather a conversation with Dennis Hogan.

The two time world title challenger has recently teamed up with the Belfast native and suggested it might be a good move for Keating.

“I had been in touch with Denis Hogan and he was telling me all about Wayne and how happy he was with the new move. He then organised a phone call with me and Wayne, and we got along instantly.”

Hogan will remain based in Australia and will train out of Vegas, but Keating is on move.

The 23-year-old will relocate to America from where he will train and fight.

“I will be making the move to Vegas as soon as we can get the visas sorted. It’s very hard at the moment with COVID-19. I will be making the move full time and be fighting out of America,” he adds.

‘Danny Boy’ hasn’t fought since the summer of 2018 and doesn’t expect to return to the ring until 2021.

“I’ve been training all year round and I’ll be hoping to be out early in the new year making my American debut. Wayne will be working closely along side my team with that. ”

Similar to how McCullough wants to approach things with ‘Hurricane’ Hogan, he doesn’t want to radically change Keating.

The prospect explains:” I’m terms of developing Wayne doesn’t want me to change my style but to improve what I already do well,”he continues before claiming he is also looking forward to working alongside Dennis Hogan.

“I am looking forward to be working alongside another Irishman. Being around Denis Hogan will be very educational for me as he’s one of the top professionals in the world.”