Tyrone McCullagh reveals brain scan scare added to nightmare year

Tyrone McCullagh revealed he had a ‘horrendous’ four-month wait to see if he would ever box again.

The popular Derry fighter was all set to return to the ring in November, only for an issue in his medical to cause havoc.

An anomaly with his initial brain scan needed further investigation, meaning McCullagh’s licence wasn’t renewed and he couldn’t trade leather late last year.

‘White Chocolate’ was forced to wait until British Boxing Board of Control experts gave him the all-clear before he could even consider a ring return.

Speaking on social media a delighted McCullagh confirmed he has since been given a licence and the go ahead, he can now plot his ring return.

The southpaw admitted the four-month wait made an already troubled year horrid.

The former WBO European ranking title holder felt the need to share the news as so many have been inquiring as to when he would return.

McCullagh felt it important to confirm he wasn’t wallowing in his first career defeat, rather issues out of his hands were delaying his comeback. 

Speaking on Social Media the boxing nurse said:

“In 8 days time, I’ll have been out of the ring exactly 1 year, and what an absolute nightmare of a year it’s been!!

“I suffered my first professional defeat, then almost immediately after, a global pandemic hits, putting a halt to the world, and when things finally start to get going again, boxing wise, it’s all very limited and with restrictions, with fewer boxing shows and fewer fights on them shows, and not to mention I’m probably near back of the queue to be on a show (with being one of the last people to fight before the pandemic).

“Finally after a long, long wait it looks like a fight is going to materialise about November time. So I go to get My medicals renewed…..A week later I get a phone-call from the hospital, something has showed up on my brain scan, they have to report it to the boxing board. The board get in touch, they aren’t sure if they can pass me, until their experts make a decision.

“People had already started saying to me, “are you going to box again?” “Don’t be packing it in just cause of 1 loss” etc. And it probably looked like that’s exactly what I was doing but I didn’t know what to reply.

“This was at the end of October and I knew there would be a delay in hearing the outcome with coronavirus but by f**k I didn’t think it would take until yesterday. Nearly 4 months of not knowing if I’ll ever get to box again was an absolutely horrendous wait….But I am absolutely delighted to be passed.”