Recognizing his roots – Wayne McCullough presents old amateur club with special gift
Irish boxing legend Wayne McCullough paid homage to where it all began this week.
‘The Pocket Rocket’ is back in Belfast and as well as spending time with family and friends took time to visit his old stomping ground.
The Olympic silver medal winner and Barcelona 1992 flag bearer returned to his former amateur club, Albert Foundry and presented them with a replica of the World Boxing Council belt.
Speaking online he said: “Presented my amateur club Albert Foundry with a replica World Boxing Council belt. It was great to see what my old training pals Tommy Waite and Stephen Kirk have done with the place. Maybe next time I’ll pop in for a session!”
McCullough captured the World Boxing Council bantamweight crown by defeating tough Japanese fighter Yasuei Yakushiji in his hometown of Nagoya, Japan.
That 1995 win made McCullough Ireland’s first ever WBC world champion. He was also the first fighter from Ireland or the UK to travel to Japan and win a belt.”
Presented my amateur club Albert Foundry with a replica World Boxing Council belt.
— Wayne McCullough OLY 🥊 (@WayneMcCullough) January 4, 2024
It was great to see what my old training pals Tommy Waite and Stephen Kirk have done with the place.
Maybe next time I’ll pop in for a session! @wbcmoro @WBCBoxing pic.twitter.com/VMxGTTqNXK
McCullough defended these trap twice before vacating the belt and moving up in weight to challenge WBC super bantamweight champion Daniel Zaragoza, but lost via a split decision in the WBC “Fight of the Year”.
As an amateur boxing out of Albert Fouhdry, McCullough had more than 300 fights, notching over 100 knockouts, with only 10 losses.
He won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand and in 1990 a silver medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
In his professional career the Irish fight legend achieved a record of 27 victories, with 18 knockouts and had 7 losses, The fighter with an Iron chin and sensational work rate was never knocked out and fought the likes of Johnny Bredahl, José Luis Bueno, Víctor Rabanales, Daniel Zaragoza, Erik Morales, Naseem Hamed, Oscar Larios and Scott Harrison.
