Glenn McCrory “over the moon” as Sean McGlinchey overcomes tough debut
Glenn McCrory wasn’t a happy man on Saturday afternoon, but his mood had substantially improved by that evening.
The former IBF cruiserweight champion was left frustrated when Czech boxer Josef Obeslo came in way higher than an already too high agreed weight. However, his new charge Sean McGlinchey [1(0)-0] would take the challenge in his stride and score a hugely entertaining four rounds that evening, leaving McCrory delighted.
Obeslo would weigh in a full 16lbs heavier than McGlinchey, who is making a beeline toward middleweight, but the Derry fighter would rise to his weighty test on the inaugural Kieran Farrell Promotions Belfast show at The Devenish Complex.
Speaking after the debut win, McCrory explained to Irish-Boxing.com that “I wasn’t too happy at the weigh-in.”
“Opponents had been crying off, so Kieran got a guy at 12 stone 9, but he came in today at 13 stone 3. He’d been fighting cruiserweights. It wasn’t ideal. We wanted someone around 11 stone 10 because we’re coming down to middleweight.”
“There would’ve been reason to say ‘we’re not having it, the guy’s too big.'”
However, McGlinchey was more than up to the challenge, and McCrory described how “I was thinking ‘Jesus, what are we doing?’ – but Sean was just like ‘I’ve fought bigger guys than him,” that’s his attitude.”
“Sean wasn’t phased at all, he doubled well, his boxing was really good. It’s a big occasion your first fight, and then when you’ve got a big lump like that, it’s tough – but he handled everything really well and I’m over the moon.”
McCrory, who trains McGlinchey at The Wild Atlantic Boxing Club in Culdaff, Donegal, was impressed at the power exhibited by ‘Mummy’s Bhoy,’ noting how “he hurt him a few times, the kid was a tough boy.”
“If you look at his record, he’s been going the distance with light heavyweights and cruiserweights, 10-0, 9-0, they’re all good kids.”
“You’ll see the difference when he [McGlinchey] uses his strength on somebody his own weight, not a cruiserweight.”
“He’s been out of the ring for fourteen months, so to come back and then get in with someone who has had 47 fights, who has been in with some good kids – he’s just took Sam Smith eight rounds and busted him up a bit – I’m more than happy”
Even aside from the performance at the weekend, McCrory is convinced that he is on to a winner with McGlinchey. The 52 year old admitted that “I get more and more excited every time he performs and every time he trains. He works so hard, has a fabulous ethic, and he’s definitely going to do something, one hundred percent.”
“He can go as far as he wants to go because he’s prepared to put the hard work in.”
Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)
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