Down To Business – Feargal McCrory taking MSG bow in his stride
Feargal McCrory is trying hard to take the emotion out of his Madison Square Garden debut.
‘Fearless’ admits the Garden is “always where he’s wanted to be” and a stage on which he has always wanted to perform.
So his interesting fight with Russian-born Brooklyn resident Nikolai Buzolin on the undercard of Callum Walsh’s latest step-up at The Theater on Thursday is massive for him personally.
However, in order to make sure the dream scenario doesn’t turn into a disastrous nightmare, he has to approach the occasion cold.
“I was supposed to fight in the Garden but it got cancelled a few days out due to coronavirus,” McCrory told Belfast Live . “As much as it is a dream come true to fight there, I must be able to look back on it only with good memories.
“If I don’t perform then it’s going to be a disaster. For that reason, although it’s a big motivation, I’m not getting too emotionally caught up in where the fight is taking place.”
The fight is McCrory’s third since relocating his training and management to America where he works with Colin Morgan, the veteran New York trainer best remembered for guiding the early career of Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin.
“I’m happy with the team I have around me – it’s my third training camp with boxing champ Juan Rivas – and even the guys in the gym feel like family,” he comments.
“I have support people could only dream of. I appreciate the effort everyone is making to come and see me and my sponsors who are such an important part of what I do. I hope to reward them all with a big performance. I’m counting down the days.”
In Buzolin, the Coalisland southpaw faces a fighter with Irish upset previous. The Russian stopped another Ulster fighter, Larry Fryers, in Brooklyn in 2018 on a Matchroom show.
It’s a test of sorts for the former John Breen-trained lightweight but also a chance to impress on UFC Fight pass where he could be a regular on Walsh undercards.
“I plan on taking this opportunity, grabbing it with both hands and delivering a great performance.”
