Feargal McCrory and team rejected Wembley fight offer for spot on big Belfast bill

Feargal McCrory [5(2)-0] and his team turned down an appearance on one of the biggest cards in boxing history last week.

The Coalisland super featherweight was offered a slot on the Anthony Joshua v Wladimir Klitschko card at Wembley Stadium, but would reject the offer in favour of an appearance on the big Sky Sports Belfast card next month.

Liverpudlian Jay Carney had been due to fight Rio Olympian Joe Cordina on the card in London, however a stoppage loss to McCrory one week prior saw him ruled out.

A couple of days later, just a few days before the fight, Matchroom would then ask John Breen, McCrory’s manager and trainer, whether ‘Fearless Feargal’ would like to step into the breach and face Cordina, but the veteran Belfast boxing man would turn it down,

Breen explained to Irish-Boxing.com that “they came to me after [the Carney fight] and offered it, but they’re bringing you over there to get beat.”

“I’m not saying Feargal would’ve got beat but I turned it down, especially as I knew this [Burnett-Haskins card] was coming up.”

Breen was speaking at the press conference at the Europa Hotel yesterday to launch the June 10th Sky Sports Matchroom ‘Belfast Boy’ bill, where McCrory will feature on his first televised card.

The appearance on the big bill comes after the dominant win over Carney, and Breen is looking to progress the ticket-selling 24 year old the right way.

Breen was delighted with the performance against Carney last month on the Kieran Farrell ‘A New Era’ show and will look to build on this at the SSE Odyssey next month.

Billed as a fifty-fifty beforehand, Breen noted that “I’d seen the other guy and I knew if Feargal boxed the way he can box he’d get the win”

“When he fights negative guys and is stuck in clinches it nullifies his power. This guy didn’t and I thought Feargal was super.

“Nobody stops him [Carney], and he got destroyed.”

McCrory features on the undercard of the Ryan Burnett v Lee Haskins-topped bill alongside Matt Wilton, Padraig McCrory, Paul Hyland Jr, James Tennyson, Sean Magee, Tyrone McCullagh, and Paddy Gallagher.

Tickets cost £30, £40, £60, £100, and £150 (VIP), and can be bought from the boxers involved or HERE.

Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)

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Gavan Casey and Joe O’Neill on Episode 4 of The Irish Boxing Show