McCullagh to make sure fellow Tyrone won’t go through bad time alone

One half of the by infamous Two Tyrones knows he has to be there for his friend and gym mate over the coming weeks.

Tyrone McCullagh knows all to well what it’s like to suffer frustrating Golden Contract defeat, having exited the featherweight version of the tournament to Ryan Walsh in February of this year.

That semi final defeat hit ‘White Chocolate’ hard and saw him suffer a bout of temporary depression. The frontline worker expects light welterweight Tyrone McKenna to suffer similarly over the coming weeks having come so close to defeating Ohara Davies to win a life changing promotional contract.

As a result he keen to make sure he is there to lend his support and advice if needed.

“100 percent [I’ll be mindful of him and there to support]. He’s gutted at the minute and rightfully so. No one likes to lose but to lose in that fashion is very tough to swallow,” McCullagh told Irish-boxing.com.

“He will probably be reliving it over and over but he done himself and everyone else proud.”

The post defeat feelings are not the only comparisons the Derry fighter made between his and McKenna’s Golden Contract defeats.

A back foot specialist, McCullagh is aware the judges don’t always score in favour of a hit and run advocate.

He feels the 30-year-old suffered in that regard last Wednesday.

“I thought he was brilliant, the best I’ve seen him box and I believe he won it 7-3 or 6-4 at the very worst. Although I know from my own experience of back foot boxing, that the judges don’t seem to like it and prefer mindless aggression which is a shame.”

It will prove little consolation at the present time, but McCullagh is confident one half of the double act will bounce back strong.

“He will be back, his stock has rose again and there are still massive fights out there for him.”