SHOCK DEFEAT – Tyrone McCullagh STOPPED in ring return

Tyrone McCullagh’s long awaited return to the ring ended in disaster this evening in Bolton as he fell to a stoppage defeat.

The Derry fighter was back at last following his Golden Contract semi-final defeat to Ryan Walsh last February but things did not go to plan on the #MTKFightNight at the Bolton Whites Hotel.

Facing admittedly one of the stronger and more aggressive journeymen on the British circuit, southpaw McCullagh was stopped in the third round by Brett Fidoe.

McCullagh was beaten by Ryan Walsh in the featherweight semi-finals of the Golden Contract and a brain scan scare coupled with COVID saw his return to the ring delayed for far longer than he would have wished. Fidoe, to his credit, came into tonight’s bout off the back of a win over debutant John Patrick Harker earlier this month but he was not expected to trouble the Irishman too much beyond giving him a good run-out over six rounds..

It was largely one-way traffic in the opening two rounds for McCullagh who was back moving down towards the super bantamweight limit and looking more aggressive than in previous fights.

Things, though, unravelled in the third when the European bronze medallist was caught by a huge left hook from Fidoe and put on unsteady legs. The English slugger went in for the kill and while McCullagh went on the bike and back to boxing to some success for a period, he was stunned by another left hand and sent tumbling by a follow-up right. While he rose quickly, the bout was waved off with the referee unconvinced by the Foylesider’s legs.

The shock result sees 30-year-old McCullagh slip to 14(6)-2(1) while Fidoe moves to 15(7)-65(2)-5 following the greatest result of his career..