Gutted Paddy Gallagher hopes for quick recovery and refixed Gary Corcoran clash
Paddy Gallagher [13(8)-4(0)] suffered a crushing disappointment yesterday but remains in typically high spirits.
The Lenadoon welterweight was forced to pull out of his clash with recent world title challenger Gary Corcoran in Belfast next weekend [Saturday June 30th] due injury.
Gallagher’s jaw was broken in two places after shipping an uppercut in one of his final sparring sessions which rules him out of action for the foreseeable future.
While ‘The Pat Man’ is extremely disappointed, the popular puncher is committed to returning and taking on the London-Irish brawler.
Indeed, Gallagher hopes to recover from the break and fight Corcoran [17(7)-2(2)] before 2018 is out.
“It goes without saying that I’m gutted with what’s happened,” said the Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
“It’s just one of those things that can happen in the sport of boxing, unfortunately. I’ll come back more determined, stronger and better than ever.”
“Myself against Gary Corcoran remains a massive fight and I hope it will happen before the end of the year.
Gallagher had been set to return to the ring just two months on from his razor-tight loss to Brad Solomon in the quarter-finals of the WBC Invitational. Corcoran, on the other hand, was returning from his brave loss to Jeff Horn in Australia for the WBO welterweight crown last year.
The Irish fighter muses that, with some more building and a chance for Corcoran to rack up a win or two, the fight will be even bigger when the pair eventually do meet.
The 29-year-old said that “it may end up that when it does happen, the fight has even more on the line than it would have done.”
“We will make this fight happen.”
A packed undercard remains for the SSE Odyssey Arena-hosted card, with Mick Conlan headlining in a homecoming versus recent world title challenger Adeilson Dos Santos, Declan Geraghty and Jono Carroll rematching, Tyrone McKenna challenging Jack Catterall, and Gary Cully stepping up versus Zoltan Szabo.
Gallagher joked that “I guess I’ll have to buy a ticket off myself and go and support all the lads as a spectator! Seeing them all fight will soften the blow.”
