Wayne McCullough was quick to defend his trainer Kenny Croom after announcing his intention to continue boxing. Croom was heavily criticised for not pulling the Belfast man out of his gruelling WBO featherweight challenge to Scott Harrison in Glasgow in March.
McCullough ended the night in hospital suffering from dehydration and exhaustion as well as a badly-damaged left ear. But the 32-year-old has shrugged off questions about his future and hit back at his critics who suggested the manner of his defeat to Harrison was so lop-sided he should call it a day.
McCullough said: “I was never hit by more than two or three shots in a row and I know I never felt close to going down. I may have been hit by big shots but my head was always clear. I remember after each round sitting in my corner and looking across the ring to where my wife was sitting.If she thought for one minute there was something wrong with me she would have come to my corner but she knew I was fine.
“My trainer Kenny Croom was also criticised for not stopping the fight but if a fighter is fighting back with strong legs - as I was - there is no reason for the fight to be stopped. The referee had the closest view and he knew my eyes were clear and therefore he did not deem it necessary to stop the fight.”
Filed by Johnny Proby
