Back with a Bang – Callum Bradley targeting KO return
Callum Bradley [4-0] would love to come back with a bang and register his first stoppage win at the Feile on Friday night.
After a busy debut year, the Tyrone prospect hasn’t been seen in the ring since February of 2020, the last night boxing came to Belfast.
The 22-year-old returns on the massive Feile card and fights on the undercard of the eagerly anticipated Michael Conlan versus TJ Doheny all Irish clash tomorrow.
‘Cool’ is itching to grace the ring again and would love to return with an eye-catching knockout win.
“I’m feeling great,” he said when speaking to Irish-boxing.com. “I just can’t wait to get back in and do the business. I’d love to get the stoppage but the win is the main thing.”
Bradley was initially set to fight Tyrone McCullagh’s upsetter Brett Fideo on the stacked card in what would have been an interesting step up, a chance to register a semi scalp and hidden gem on a card that promises so much.
However, the English fighter was forced to pull out after contracting Covid and Stefan Nicolae [3(1)-25(8)-1] steps in. It’s not as sexy a fight but Bradley is content enough with an experienced journeyman who knows his way around the ring.
“I fight Stefan Nicolae from Romania, He’s a tough experienced man. He’s had 30 fights and fought a lot of good fighters. When Fideo pulled out I was just hoping we could get another opponent. I wasn’t too worried.” he adds before revealing he kept training during his pandemic enforced period of inactivity.
“Due to the pandemic I was out for 18months but I stayed ready and dedicated. I trained hard the whole time and was ready to fight anytime.”
This fight represents the first bout the Omagh native has had since relocating training camp to Dublin and teaming up with new coach Steven O’Rourke.
The young prospect suggests their first camp together has gone well and his excited to show what he has been working on.
“It’s been great since I’ve started working with Steven. This is our first camp together and I’ve seen some good changes in sparring, improvements I can’t wait to show on Friday night.”
O’Rourke’s Gym is also populated by Bradley’s older brother Tiernan – and the younger of the two siblings is delighted to be working alongside his big bro again.
“It’s great to be back in the gym with my brother, seeing him sparring daily and learning off him. It’s also good to get advice off him after sparring myself,” he adds before revealing he is hoping to get busy from here on out.
“I’m ready to kick on and be active. I’m still only 22, I wana’ be fighting five times a year and keep building myself up the rankings.”
