Belfast boxer battles through broken wrist to score knockout win

Ciaran McVarnock scored an early stoppage on Saturday night, a result made all the more impressive by the fact he went into the bout with a broken wrist.

The Belfast featherweight took on Tyrone journeyman Ben Mulligan on an MTK show at the Wythenshawe Forum in Manchester, a card which also featured Tipperary heavyweight Con Sheehan.

McVarnock hurt his opponent early, and got the rarely-stopped Ulsterman out of there at the end of the first round.

It was an impressive display from the energetic New Lodge man, who is not known for his punching power, but he saw an opportunity and didn’t let it pass by.

It’s not the way McVarnock [8(2)-0-1] was anticipating the bout to go, and ‘Bunty’ has revealed that he entered the fight with a fractured scaphoid bone in his wrist.

McVarnock explained to Irish-Boxing.com how “last TuesdayI came off my moped. I went to the hospital next day and was told I have a fractured scaphoid, a torus fracture.”

“So I was shadow boxing with my left hand and just punching with my right.”

“I’ll have to get it proper seen to after this fight and then I’ve got a holiday booked for the last week of August.”

“It will be near the end of the year when I’m out again – although if I was offered the Frampton bill I’d take that still!”

With the injury, McVarnock was planning for a cautious points win, but the fiery 25 year old would end the fight in the first.

“I tried to make it last,” McVarnock claims.

“I took my time, the only reason why I finished him was because Arnie [Farnell, coach] was yelling at me to!”