Gary Cully employs Instagram to make instant impression with Eddie Hearn

He may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s unquestionable that Eddie Hearn has adapted to and taken advantage of the rising role of social media in boxing.

The Matchroom boss interacts with fans and fighters through Twitter, builds excitement, sets narratives, and makes fights all with a few twiddles of his thumbs.

Gary Cully [2(2)-0] used this to his advantage on Saturday night.

The Naas lightweight scored a third round stoppage win over Josh Thorne to open the show at the SSE Odyssey Arena, and Cully ensured that there was an interested and impressed observer sitting ringside.

At 5pm, as the doors to the arena were just opening, Hearn made sure to take in Cully’s second pro fight – following some urging from the boxer himself.

Cully explained to Irish-Boxing.com how “Eddie was staying up in our hotel, the Hilton, and he put up an Instagram story earlier of him training down in the gym – I just replied to him saying ‘I’m on first, I want to get the chance to impress you, so get down early and have a look.'”

“Then, when I got out of the ring he was sitting in the front row, and he said ‘I got your Instagram, fair play, good performance.'”

“It was good to see, I felt good in there, and I like to impress these guys.”

“Being on such a big event, I was saying before that I wanted to impress Eddie Hearn, and obviously with a performance like that – even if he wasn’t there, he would have heard about it anyway.”

It was another strong showing from Cully, who destroyed Gyula Tallosi in a record 42 seconds in his debut last month.

This time round he was brought into the third, but dropped the tough English journeyman twice and ended it within the distance – joining an exclusive club alongside just Robbie Davies Jr and Olympian Joe Cordina.

Cully was pleased with his display and described how “I’m happy to get a few more rounds. The last fight, I did a tough eight week camp and I wanted to show my skills and look good – so I was a bit disappointed it ended so quick.”

“This one, I knew that Josh Thorne was a bit tougher, so I knew that I’d have to go in and take my time to take him out of there.”

“I’ve been with Pete [Taylor, coach] now for 12 weeks and I’m trying new things all the time. Obviously in the first fight I didn’t get the chance to.”

“I felt like I relaxed straight away in there and that I could go in and let go with shots, drop my hands, and I felt good in there.”

Another stoppage win for the rangey southpaw, there is artistry to his approach rather than brute force.

Cully outlined how “I know I have power, but I’d rather show my skills, I’m very skillful. I’d like to think I look good in the ring. I’d actually rather look good and entertain a crowd than knock people out straight away – although obviously knockouts will come, but I like to look good first”

“It wasn’t really a power shot, it was a flash. My accuracy is what knocks guys down. I know I have power, but I have long arms and I’m quick as well, it’s more about [being] explosive than power.”

“When I land shots on these guys it’s just ‘boom,’ pin-pointed, and when you pull your hand back quicker it’s the speed and precision that knocks them down.”

“Once I started working the body he folded.”