Feargal McCrory to face former pro footballer at Europa
Coalisland super featherweight Feargal McCrory [11(5)-0] will be looking to punch rather than run rings around former Portsmouth and Bournemouth footballer Dave Birmingham [9(3)-4(4)] when he returns to the ring next month.
The Irish lightweight champion returns to the venue where he topped a bill last time out, stopping late replacement Elvis Guillen in a round.
McCrory plays support to Cathy McAleer as she plans to become Ireland’s first female Commonwealth champion with victory over Ellen Simwaka for the vacant super bantamweight title.
The rainbow belt is something McCrory has been linked with for sometime now – and the show’s promoter Mark Dunlop believes victory over the Portsmouth native could play a part in securing a coveted shot.
Birmingham has challenged for the BBBoC Southern Area title at lightweight and super featherweight, losing to Jumane Camero and Liam Dillon respectively.
The former soccer player is a solid test for McCrory who played underage inter-county Gaelic Football for his native Tyrone.
“Feargal having won the BUI Irish National Belt earlier this year will be looking to continue on his unbeaten pro career and move towards European or commonwealth platforms in 2020,” promoter Dunlop said.
Opponent Birmingham will be know to Irish fight fans having fought at the same venue against recent European title challenger Paul Hyland Jr in April of last year.
‘Hylo’ stopped the game English fighter on that night and McCrory will have aspirations to emulate that form of victory.
Both ‘Fearless’ and his coach John Breen have lamented the lack of a break through chance for the Coalisland fighter and will welcome Dunlop’s 2020 title prediction.
Speaking to Irish-Boxing.com about his charge recently the legendary Belfast coach said that “Feargal is open to anyone and he is ready for anyone now.”
“The problem is we need to get him the bigger fights. Eddie Hearn was interested, but he has no one in Belfast at the minute. Feargal knows he would sell hundreds of tickets in America so maybe that’s an option. Maybe I can relay that to Eddie and get him on the Matchroom USA shows.”
“I feel sorry for Feargal. He is training everyday, he has done all that has been asked of him, but he needs the next level opportunity now.”
