Wayne McCullough
Encyclopedia
Wayne William McCullough (born 7 July 1970 in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
) is a professional boxer
. During his professional career, which spans back to 1993, he held the WBC
title in the Bantamweight
category. In May 2004, Wayne legally changed his name by deed poll to Wayne Pocket Rocket McCullough.
in Seoul, Korea and was asked to carry the Irish flag because he was the youngest member of the team at 18 years old. Even though he lived on the staunchly Protestant Shankill Road area, he was honored to carry the flag of the country he was representing. He went on to win a silver medal for Ireland at the 1992 Summer Olympics
in Barcelona
, and a gold medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games
in Auckland
, where he was also honored to carry the Northern Ireland
flag in the closing ceremony while representing that country.
The medal ceremony for his Commonwealth title was marked by an unusual incident. A technical problem with the public address
system made it impossible to play the recording of the Northern Ireland anthem, Londonderry Air
. The New Zealand official in charge of the sound, Bob Gibson, promptly took the microphone and sang the anthem unaccompanied, using the politically neutral lyrics to "Danny Boy
", normally sung to the same tune.
McCullough also won Bronze for Ireland at the World Cup in Bombay, India in 1990, before moving from Northern Ireland to Las Vegas
to begin his professional career in 1993.
Over 100 KO's
Had to fight for Bronze medal as there was only one awarded
, who agreed to train him after seeing him at the Olympics. Wayne always fought in neutral colors and didn't play any anthems during his career. Both Protestants and Catholics came together to support him. Within a year of turning pro, he had won the North American Boxing Federation
title. On 30 July 1995, less than 2½ years since his pro debut, he won the WBC
championship by beating the champion Yasuei Yakushiji in Nagoya, Japan to become Ireland's first ever WBC world champion. He was the first (and only) Irish or British fighter to travel to Japan and successfully win a belt.
McCullough defended his title twice before vacating the belt and moving up in weight to challenge WBC super bantamweight champion Daniel Zaragoza
but lost via a split decision in the WBC "Fight of the Year". After this fight, his wife Cheryl and Stuart Campbell began to manage his career when his original manager, Mat Tinley, became a boxing promoter.
McCullough unsuccessfully challenged champions Naseem Hamed
in 1998, and Erik Morales
in 1999. Both exciting "Fight Of The Year" contenders, he broke both of their incredible KO
streaks while taking them the distance. Hamed had knocked out 18 opponents straight before McCullough, he was 30-0 at the time. Morales had knocked out 9 of his previous 9 opponents and was 34-0 at the time. Morales stated that McCullough gave him one of the top three fights of his career and almost quit on his stool after the 9th round (according to RING magazine).
In October 2000, McCullough was returning to his native Belfast for a homecoming fight. Two days before the fight was scheduled to take place, he was told that he had a cyst
on his brain, he couldn’t fight again and that one more blow to the head could kill him. McCullough flew back to Las Vegas and was advised by the Nevada Commission to visit the neurosurgery department at UCLA for a more thorough investigation. Within a few weeks the doctor at UCLA, Neil Martin, called to say he had consulted with some of the top neurosurgeons in the USA and they had come to the conclusion that the cyst was not on his brain, but in a space between the brain and the skull – called the arachnoid mater
– and that he saw no reason for him to give up his boxing career.
Nevertheless, the British Boxing Board of Control
continued to deny him a license. He was relicensed in Nevada and fought again in January 2002. After a very public battle, the BBBofC could no longer deny him a license and later that same year McCullough stepped back into a British ring under the Frank Warren
Promotions banner. Since then he has had mixed success, winning five fights but losing to Scott Harrison and Mexican
world champion Óscar Larios
on two occasions. The result of his first fight with Larios is widely disputed.
On 17 August 2005 McCullough was honored by the WBC to become their first ever WBC World Ambassador for Peace and Goodwill in Sports.
In September 2005, McCullough became a United States citizen. He is known for his dogged, relentless attacking style and has never been knocked down or stopped by a fighter in a professional bout. In November 2005, McCullough released his autobiography, Pocket Rocket: Don't Quit, in the UK and Ireland. He went on a publicity tour to promote the book, which reached Number 2 on the best sellers list.
In 2007, Wayne McCullough was asked to join the Ultimate Fighting Championship
organisation by his longtime friend, UFC President, Dana White as a PR Associate and travels around the world helping to promote the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
.
He currently trains fighters both in boxing and MMA and is setting up his own charity - IHOW.
who has just defeated Bernard Dunne
at the Point Depot, Dublin for the European super bantamweight title. The fight between McCullough and Martinez was due to take place at Belfast
's Kings Hall on 1 December 2007.
McCullough had not fought for over two years and the Kings Hall venue was sold out for the fight. It was agreed that the non title fight would take place at . However, on the day before the fight there was uproar during the weigh-in and the fight was cancelled by the BBBC amid chaotic scenes.
McCullough had already contracted to fight at 2 lb over the championship weight and he weighed in at . However, Martinez failed to make the agreed weight and was 1.75 lb over the agreed weight.
Martinez was given a couple of hours to shed the excess weight, but did not return to weigh in again and the scales were closed by a BBBofC official. A furious McCullough stated "I couldn't believe it. He comes in over the weight and then after being asked to take it off he just sits there and does nothing. I just can't believe what has happened. I was ready fight and ready to win and he comes in that much over the weight.".
, his first fight in three years. He lost in six rounds, retiring on his stool. Despite being ahead on two of three judges' scorecards after six rounds, he told his corner he could not go on due to an injury he had sustained in training.
The Belfast boxer took the microphone and revealed this might be his swansong.
He said: "I think this could be my last fight and I want to thank you all for coming. I am disappointed with the way things went but I just felt I could not go on."
McCullough had not fought since losing a WBC super bantamweight title fight against Óscar Larios in Las Vegas in 2005.
McCullough tweeted on his Twitter page @WayneMcCullough on April 30th 2010 that he would be participating in the next 'Prizefighter' tournament in Britain
, the former WBA super-bantamweight champion
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
) is a professional boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. During his professional career, which spans back to 1993, he held the WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
title in the Bantamweight
Bantamweight
Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...
category. In May 2004, Wayne legally changed his name by deed poll to Wayne Pocket Rocket McCullough.
Amateur career
As an amateur, McCullough participated in the 1988 Summer Olympics1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in Seoul, Korea and was asked to carry the Irish flag because he was the youngest member of the team at 18 years old. Even though he lived on the staunchly Protestant Shankill Road area, he was honored to carry the flag of the country he was representing. He went on to win a silver medal for Ireland at the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, and a gold medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games
Boxing at the 1990 Commonwealth Games
Final results for the Boxing competition at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand, from January 24 to February 3.- Light Flyweight :- Flyweight :- Bantamweight :...
in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, where he was also honored to carry the Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
flag in the closing ceremony while representing that country.
The medal ceremony for his Commonwealth title was marked by an unusual incident. A technical problem with the public address
Public address
A public address system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a sound source, e.g., a person giving a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often used in...
system made it impossible to play the recording of the Northern Ireland anthem, Londonderry Air
Londonderry Air
Londonderry Air is an air that originated from County Londonderry in Ireland. It is popular among the Irish diaspora and is very well known throughout the world. The tune is played as the victory anthem of Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games. "Danny Boy" is a popular set of lyrics to the...
. The New Zealand official in charge of the sound, Bob Gibson, promptly took the microphone and sang the anthem unaccompanied, using the politically neutral lyrics to "Danny Boy
Danny Boy
-Background:The words to "Danny Boy" were written by English lawyer and lyricist Frederic Weatherly in 1910. Although the lyrics were originally written for a different tune, Weatherly modified them to fit the "Londonderry Air" in 1913, after his sister-in-law in the U.S. sent him a copy. Ernestine...
", normally sung to the same tune.
McCullough also won Bronze for Ireland at the World Cup in Bombay, India in 1990, before moving from Northern Ireland to Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
to begin his professional career in 1993.
Amateur highlights
Amateur record 319–11Over 100 KO's
- 1988 represented Ireland as a Light Flyweight at Seoul Olympic Games. Results were:
- First Round bye
- Defeated Fred MutuwetaFred MutuwetaFred Mutuweta is a retired lightweight boxer from Uganda, who represented his native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. There he was defeated in the second round by Wayne McCullough of Ireland...
(Uganda) points - Lost to Scotty Olson (Canada) points
- 1990 Gold Medalist at Flyweight at Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand. Results were:
- Defeated B. Mwangata (Tanzania) points
- Defeated M. Maina (Kenya) points
- Defeated Tshabangu (Zimbabwe) points
- 1990 3rd place as a Flyweight at World Cup in Bombay, India. Results were:
- Defeated M. Pingle (India) points
- Defeated D.K. Park (Korea) points
- Lost to Serafim Todorov (Bulgaria) points
- Defeated Fred Mutuweta (Uganda) points
Had to fight for Bronze medal as there was only one awarded
- 1991 competed as a Bantamweight at World Championships in Sydney, Australia. Results were:
- Defeated Felipe Costa (Portugal) TKO 2
- Defeated Joseph Zabakly (Australia) points
- Lost to Enrique CarrionEnrique CarrionEnrique Carrion is a Cuban boxer best known to win the 1989 World Amateur Boxing Championships at bantamweight.He won the 1989 final against Bulgarian Serafim Todorov who beat him in 1991 and at featherweight in 1993....
(Cuba) points
- 1992 won the Silver medal representing Ireland as a Bantamweight at the Barcelona Olympic Games. Results were:
- Defeated Fred MutuwetaFred MutuwetaFred Mutuweta is a retired lightweight boxer from Uganda, who represented his native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. There he was defeated in the second round by Wayne McCullough of Ireland...
(Uganda) points - Defeated Ahmed Abbood (Iraq) points
- Defeated Mohammed Sabo (Nigeria) points
- Defeated Gwang-Sik Li (North Korea) points
- Lost to Joel CasamayorJoel CasamayorJoel "El Cepillo" Casamayor Johnson is a Cuban boxer, who turned pro after defecting to the United States on the eve of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The nickname "El Cepillo", literally translated to "the brush", comes from his uppercut, which rakes his opponents across the face...
(Cuba) points
- Defeated Fred Mutuweta
Professional career
In 1993 Wayne moved to Las Vegas to train under the legendary Eddie FutchEddie Futch
Eddie Futch was a boxing trainer. Among the fighters he trained are Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes, and Trevor Berbick, four of the five men to defeat Muhammad Ali....
, who agreed to train him after seeing him at the Olympics. Wayne always fought in neutral colors and didn't play any anthems during his career. Both Protestants and Catholics came together to support him. Within a year of turning pro, he had won the North American Boxing Federation
North American Boxing Federation
The North American Boxing Federation is a not-for-profit regional sanctioning body that awards regional boxing titles. It is a boxing federation within the World Boxing Council .-History:...
title. On 30 July 1995, less than 2½ years since his pro debut, he won the WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
championship by beating the champion Yasuei Yakushiji in Nagoya, Japan to become Ireland's first ever WBC world champion. He was the first (and only) Irish or British fighter to travel to Japan and successfully win a belt.
McCullough defended his title twice before vacating the belt and moving up in weight to challenge WBC super bantamweight champion Daniel Zaragoza
Daniel Zaragoza
Daniel Zaragoza was a Mexican professional boxer. Known as "The Mouse," Zaragoza a popular champion in the Super Bantamweight division throughout the 1980s and 1990s.-Amateur career:...
but lost via a split decision in the WBC "Fight of the Year". After this fight, his wife Cheryl and Stuart Campbell began to manage his career when his original manager, Mat Tinley, became a boxing promoter.
McCullough unsuccessfully challenged champions Naseem Hamed
Naseem Hamed
Naseem Hamed is an English former professional boxer.He is the former WBO, WBC, IBF, & Lineal featherweight champion, and European bantamweight champion....
in 1998, and Erik Morales
Erik Morales
Érik Isaac Morales Elvira is a Mexican professional boxer. He is the first Mexican born boxer in history to win a world title in four weight classes and is the current WBC Light Welterweight Champion...
in 1999. Both exciting "Fight Of The Year" contenders, he broke both of their incredible KO
Ko
Ko or KO may refer to:* Ko , a Tamil action movie directed by K.V. Anand released in April 2011* Ko , the romanization of the Japanese kana こ and コ* Ko Mountain, the second highest peak in Sikhote-Alin*Ko, Lamphun, Thailand...
streaks while taking them the distance. Hamed had knocked out 18 opponents straight before McCullough, he was 30-0 at the time. Morales had knocked out 9 of his previous 9 opponents and was 34-0 at the time. Morales stated that McCullough gave him one of the top three fights of his career and almost quit on his stool after the 9th round (according to RING magazine).
In October 2000, McCullough was returning to his native Belfast for a homecoming fight. Two days before the fight was scheduled to take place, he was told that he had a cyst
Cyst
A cyst is a closed sac, having a distinct membrane and division on the nearby tissue. It may contain air, fluids, or semi-solid material. A collection of pus is called an abscess, not a cyst. Once formed, a cyst could go away on its own or may have to be removed through surgery.- Locations :* Acne...
on his brain, he couldn’t fight again and that one more blow to the head could kill him. McCullough flew back to Las Vegas and was advised by the Nevada Commission to visit the neurosurgery department at UCLA for a more thorough investigation. Within a few weeks the doctor at UCLA, Neil Martin, called to say he had consulted with some of the top neurosurgeons in the USA and they had come to the conclusion that the cyst was not on his brain, but in a space between the brain and the skull – called the arachnoid mater
Arachnoid mater
The arachnoid mater, literally from Latin "spider -like mother", is one of the three meninges, the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord...
– and that he saw no reason for him to give up his boxing career.
Nevertheless, the British Boxing Board of Control
British Boxing Board of Control
The British Boxing Board of Control is the governing body of professional boxing in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1929 from the old National Sporting Club and is headquartered in Cardiff.- Councils :...
continued to deny him a license. He was relicensed in Nevada and fought again in January 2002. After a very public battle, the BBBofC could no longer deny him a license and later that same year McCullough stepped back into a British ring under the Frank Warren
Frank Warren (promoter)
Frank Darren Warren is an English boxing manager and promoter.-Early life and early career:The son of a bookmaker, Warren trained as a solicitor's clerk with J Tickle & Co on Southampton Row in London....
Promotions banner. Since then he has had mixed success, winning five fights but losing to Scott Harrison and Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
world champion Óscar Larios
Oscar Larios
Óscar Larios is a professional boxer from Mexico and former WBC Super Bantamweight and Featherweight champion. He is trained by Jose "Chepo" Reynoso.-Boxing career:...
on two occasions. The result of his first fight with Larios is widely disputed.
On 17 August 2005 McCullough was honored by the WBC to become their first ever WBC World Ambassador for Peace and Goodwill in Sports.
In September 2005, McCullough became a United States citizen. He is known for his dogged, relentless attacking style and has never been knocked down or stopped by a fighter in a professional bout. In November 2005, McCullough released his autobiography, Pocket Rocket: Don't Quit, in the UK and Ireland. He went on a publicity tour to promote the book, which reached Number 2 on the best sellers list.
In 2007, Wayne McCullough was asked to join the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
organisation by his longtime friend, UFC President, Dana White as a PR Associate and travels around the world helping to promote the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
.
He currently trains fighters both in boxing and MMA and is setting up his own charity - IHOW.
Return to challenge of Kiko Martinez
On 1 December 2007 McCullough had signed to fight Spainiard Kiko MartinezKiko Martinez
Francisco Martinez Sanchez more commonly known as Kiko Martinez is a professional boxer from Alicante, Spain, who fights in the super bantamweight division. From April 15, 2011, he is the current EBU Super bantamweight champion .-Amateur career:Martinez fought extensively as an amateur...
who has just defeated Bernard Dunne
Bernard Dunne
Bernard Dunne is a retired Irish professional boxer and a former WBA, and European super bantamweight champion.On Saturday 21 March 2009, Dunne waged the war that he would be best remembered for and defeated Ricardo Cordoba in the 11th round to become the WBA super bantamweight champion in a fight...
at the Point Depot, Dublin for the European super bantamweight title. The fight between McCullough and Martinez was due to take place at Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
's Kings Hall on 1 December 2007.
McCullough had not fought for over two years and the Kings Hall venue was sold out for the fight. It was agreed that the non title fight would take place at . However, on the day before the fight there was uproar during the weigh-in and the fight was cancelled by the BBBC amid chaotic scenes.
McCullough had already contracted to fight at 2 lb over the championship weight and he weighed in at . However, Martinez failed to make the agreed weight and was 1.75 lb over the agreed weight.
Martinez was given a couple of hours to shed the excess weight, but did not return to weigh in again and the scales were closed by a BBBofC official. A furious McCullough stated "I couldn't believe it. He comes in over the weight and then after being asked to take it off he just sits there and does nothing. I just can't believe what has happened. I was ready fight and ready to win and he comes in that much over the weight.".
Retirement?
On 20 June 2008, McCullough fought Juan Ruiz in the Cayman IslandsCayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...
, his first fight in three years. He lost in six rounds, retiring on his stool. Despite being ahead on two of three judges' scorecards after six rounds, he told his corner he could not go on due to an injury he had sustained in training.
The Belfast boxer took the microphone and revealed this might be his swansong.
He said: "I think this could be my last fight and I want to thank you all for coming. I am disappointed with the way things went but I just felt I could not go on."
McCullough had not fought since losing a WBC super bantamweight title fight against Óscar Larios in Las Vegas in 2005.
McCullough tweeted on his Twitter page @WayneMcCullough on April 30th 2010 that he would be participating in the next 'Prizefighter' tournament in Britain
Challenge
McCullough issued a press release in March 2009 stating he plans to continue with his boxing career, proposing a fight with Bernard DunneBernard Dunne
Bernard Dunne is a retired Irish professional boxer and a former WBA, and European super bantamweight champion.On Saturday 21 March 2009, Dunne waged the war that he would be best remembered for and defeated Ricardo Cordoba in the 11th round to become the WBA super bantamweight champion in a fight...
, the former WBA super-bantamweight champion