“I hope he goes on and does well” – Magee gives best wishes to departing Tommy McCarthy
Former Tommy McCarthy trainer Brian Magee believes the Belfast crusierweight should have ‘destroyed’ Matty Askins, but admits that he and the Lenadoon man just did not gel.
‘The Mac Attack’ has parted company with one of Belfast’s finest fighters since his British title final eliminator points reversal to the Blackpool puncher and teamed up with Ensley Bingham in Manchester.
Magee believes the 26 year old has made a good move and knows the 2010 Commonwealth silver medalist has the tools to have a successful career.
However, he explains he won’t be part of the coaching staff moving forward as the pair ‘didn’t gel’.
“I think he’s happy enough – my way of training and his way are two different things. At the start, we got on really well, he did what he was told, but the last camp wasn’t good and it’s a pity, he’s a very talented guy, but we just didn’t gel,” Magee explained to the Irish News.
The 41 year old felt his former charge is a better fighter than Askins, but revealed that the pre-fight camp did not go to plan.
“We had trouble in the last training camp, so we just decided to go our separate ways. He should never have lost to Askin. He should have went out and destroyed that guy, but he didn’t do it.” said Magee. I’d still be confident that, if he can get back on track the way he was when I first got him and trained him for his first fight he’ll do well.
The former European super middleweight trainer endorsed McCarthy’s new choice of coach, and described how “I think Ensley Bingham is the best choice out there at the minute because he’ll get plenty of sparring over there. I hope he goes on and does well, he might realise that he had a good thing going here, but he’s still young, he only has one defeat, so he can still move on. Fingers crossed.”
