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Opponent confirmed for Pádraig McCrory’s fight on Frampton homecoming undercard

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Pádraig McCrory [1(0)-0] will take a step up in his second professional fight at the end of this month.

The Belfast super middle boxes on the Carl Frampton v Andres Gutierrez homecoming card at the SSE Odyssey Arena on Saturday July 29th.

It is a return to Belfast’s biggest venue for McCrory who debuted here last month on the Ryan Burnett v Lee Haskins undercard. That night the Immanuel Boxing Academy man outpointed the awkward and negative Jacob Lucas over four.

On the ‘Return of The Jackal’ card McCrory will face experienced Hungarian Norbert Szekeres [18(9)-58(15)-3] in another four rounder.

Szekeres has faced all manner of prospects during his eight-year 79-fight career. Always defeated but normally a test, the Central European has fought World champ Billy Joe Saunders (TKO1), European champ Kerry Hope (PTS6), Commonwealth champ Callum Johnson (TKO1), the world-rated Patrick Nielsen (KO4), EU champ Andrea Di Luisa (TKO2), Prizefighter winner Patrick Mendy (PTS6), and Italian champ Nicola Conti (PTS6).

In addition, Szekeres also went the six-round distance with Tyrone middleweight Conrad Cummings, who also appears on the July 29th bill, in the Coalisland man’s fifth pro fight.

Usually an opponent reserved for a little later on in a prospect’s development, the only fighters to match or better McCrory in terms of when they faced Szekeres are German light heavyweight Arijan Sherifi who outpointed the Hungarian in his second fight and former European gold medalist and World bronze winner Artem Chebotarev who debuted against Szekeres with a second round KO earlier this year.

It wont be the first time that Szekeres has boxed on a Frampton undercard at the Odyssey either, with the Magyar being outpointed over six by former European champion and world title challenger Grzegorz Proska back in 2013 on the Frampton-Martinez I bill.

Also featuring on the card at the end of the month will be Cummings, who defends his WBO European belt against Poland’s Robert Swierzbinski, as well as Chantelle Cameron, Lewis Crocker, and Steven Ward, with more announcements expected soon.

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

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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