It’s Back On – Graham McCormack handed huge title shot
It’s back on!
Graham McCormack is once again one win away from a European ranking.
The old-school warrior will fight for the vacant BBBofC Celtic title at the famous York Hall on April 27.
‘G Train’ will trade leather with Kieran Gething for the super middleweight version of the prestigious strap.
It’s massive for the IBG-managed 36-year-old, who was beyond disappointed when two proposed fights with Gethings fell through late last year and was considering retirement after a draw in the Warehouse last time out.
It now appears that draw may have done him a huge favour, finally persuading Team Gething it’s a safe fight to take, not to mention giving the Limerick southpaw a mini wake-up call ahead of what could prove a career-defining fight.
The BBBofC Celtic title is not to be confused with the BUI Celtic title, a strap already on the Limerick man’s mantlepiece, it comes with a European ranking and is extremely attractive to eligible British fighters, as it can greatly increase your British title chances.
With that in mind, victory would open massive doors for a fighter who turned over late. Whether he wants to explore them at super middle remains to be seen but it could pave the way to a shot at the middleweight version of the strap, which is currently held by Scot Ben McGivern, who himself has Irish previous having beaten Donegan and lost to Jamie Morrissey.
The fight will be the Limerick man’s fifth career title fight but his first for the BBBofC Celtic title.
McCormack has competed across the middleweight spectrum in those title fights, going up to super middle and dropping down to light middle but fittingly is most at home in the middle at middleweight.
A return to 168 lbs for this fight shouldn’t prove daunting, particularly as 29-year-old from Abergavenny, Gethings jumps up two weights having last fought at 154 lbs.
The Welsh fighter also has Celtic title previous, winning the BUI Celtic middleweight title in April of last year and losing to Sion Yaxley for the BBBofC light middleweight version of the strap in July on 2023.
