BOXING: At 32 years old, Wayne McCullough knows time is not on his side as he attempts to reclaim a place at the top of the sport, but a more than useful tune-up fight against the South African, Johannes Maisa, brought him a creditable fourth-round stoppage victory at the York Hall, Bethnall Green, in London on Saturday night.
In his first fight in Britain since being granted a renewal of the boxing licence suspended when a brain scan two years ago revealed an abnormality in the form of a cyst, the fighter known as the "Pocket Rocket" showed flashes of the form which was once good enough to have won him the World Boxing Council version of the world super-bantamweight title.
There were signs of ring rust in McCullough's early work, hardly surprising considering his recent inactivity. He started slowly and for the first half of the first round, Maisa was catching him.
But there were also signs that some of the old sparkle remains, and the break from boxing may yet bring the Irishman back into top class with a renewed enthusiasm and vigour.
The second round was also a lively one, with McCullough pumping out jabs and sending in single shots to the head and body.
McCullough started to get on top of his man in the third, with body shots forcing the South African to retreat to the ropes.
In the fourth round, McCullough went for the finish and forced his opponent into a corner with a volley of punches to the head. Referee Richie Davies stopped the contest after two minutes 12 seconds of the round.
McCullough has always been renowned for his phenomenal work rate in the ring, and he threw 538 punches before the fight ended, with Maisa capitulating in the face of a fusillade of punches.
"I showed I was punching harder than when I was younger," said McCullough. "I was pleased with my performance. I was feeling sharp and I know I will soon be ready to move on to a higher level and test myself against the best. Frank Warren has told me he can get me a world title shot, perhaps in the New Year, but I would hope to get two or three fights behind me before then."
McCullough's next appearance is likely to be on the undercard of the World Boxing Organisation world featherweight title fight in Glasgow on October 19th, where the Puerto Rican Julio Pablo Chacon defends his crown against young Scotsman Scott Harrison.
"Harrison has got a tough fight. He says he wants my name on his record, but he has to win against Chacon first. Even if he does, he can have my name but it will read that he has lost to Wayne McCullough," said the Belfast man.
McCullough was prevented from boxing in Britain in October 2000 after the cyst was found during a routine brain scan. But he sought further medical opinion and was given the all-clear by several neurosurgeons.
However, despite being allowed to box in Nevada, it was not until May 2002 that he had his British licence restored,
McCullough was boxing on the undercard of Londoner Kevin Lear's first defence of his World Boxing Union super-featherweight title. Lear stopped Bulgarian Kirkor Kirkorov in the sixth round, after a scrappy contest in which the challenger was floored twice, in the second and sixth.
