Irish boxer Wayne McCullough has been detained in Glasgow Southern General hospital for tests after his WBO Featherweight Championship fight with Scott Harrison last night at the Braehead Arena. The brave McCullough took some severe punishment as he lost on points to Harrison but was still able to attend a post-fight press conference. However, he was later taken to hospital and kept in overnight.
A hospital spokesman confirmed: "Mr McCullough is in a stable condition and doctors will carry out tests today."
The British Boxing Board of Control refused to give McCullough a license three years ago when a cyst was found on his brain and the Belfats boxer moved to America where he eventually got clearance from several doctors. The BBBC consequently relented and McCullough was cleared to fight again last September 14 when he beat Johannes Maisa.
But in a brutal and one-sided fight against Harrison the Irishman's bravery and durability were tested as he withstood some ferocious punches from the Scotsman. However, despite being so far behind and clearly struggling, McCullough's corner refused to throw in the towel.
The Las Vegas-based fighter's record of having never been stopped remained intact, albeit at a price. Afterwards, the Harrison camp were critical of McCullough's corner man Kenny Croom, for allowing his fighter to take such a beating.
Harrison said: "I thought their corner should have stopped the fight. But I didn't tell them because it's not my job to tell them, I've just got to keep on fighting until the end. "
Harrison's manager Frank Maloney agreed: "I was totally surprised by the lack of compassion from their corner. I had said before the fight that I hoped their corner would be compassionate because I believed that Scott's punching would do the job that it did do. That was an accident waiting to happen here and thankfully we got to the 12th round and the fight was over. I'm sure if it was the other way round, Peter Harrison would have pulled his man out of the fight."
Harrison's trainer and father Peter added: "Kenny Croom didn't do his job. I signalled to their corner to stop the fight around about the ninth because Scott was hitting him with too many shots. Croom is supposed to be a student of Eddie Futch but Futch would never have allowed it to happen. It would have been different if there was a chance of him winning but if you're losing so clearly, then why leave him in there?"
Fight promoter Frank Warren said: "The fight should have been stopped. I'm surprised because Kenny is a nice guy and he learned the trade with Eddie Futch and we all know what Eddie Futch did with Joe Frazier."
Filed by Shane Murray
