Sean McGlinchey happy with exciting debut win against big opponent

You could tell within seconds of his debut that we are in for some exciting fights from Sean McGlinchey [1(0)-0] in the coming years.

The Derry bruiser, facing a much larger opponent, tore out of the blocks in the chief support bout on the Kieran Farrell Promotions ‘A New Era’ card in Belfast on Saturday night

McGlinchey took on Czechian Josef Obeslo [6(4)-35(5)-3] in his paid bow at The Devenish Venue and, despite a 16lbs weight disadvantage when they took to the scales that afternoon, the Creggan 24 year old hurt his opponent continuously throughout the four rounds.

Throwing big shots from the off, with power that suggests he’ll be a force against fighters his own weight, McGlinchey marked himself out immediately as a fan-friendly scrapper

Looking back at the entertaining 40-36 win, McGlinchey told Irish-Boxing.com that “in the first round I let him know what I was there for. I’ve got power and I rocked that boy a few times.”

“No excuses, he weighed in a stone heavier, but his power didn’t phase me in any way. He was in with a lot of good boys and I hurt him.”

“You know though, if you go for a knockout, it doesn’t happen. I thought I boxed well the way through, I boxed the way Glenn [McCrory, coach] was telling me. I feel happy with my performance.”

The larger opponent, indeed larger than anticipated, did not bother McGlinchey – who won light heavyweight bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

He explained how “I heard he’d be coming in 12 stone 9, and I weighed in a bit lighter than I planned, I don’t know what happened but an extra bit of weight came off overnight.”

“I’m used to boxing boys that weight, tough boys, I’ve been in with great amateurs and they couldn’t put me away so I wasn’t worried about him.”

“If he had been at my weight I would have took him out. I don’t like predicting, I’ll never predict that I’ll knock someone out, but I know I’ve a bit of power behind me.”

What was especially notable, and not just due to the section which wore nappies over their trousers and sucked soothers, was the large support that ‘Mummy’s Bhoy’ brought across Ulster.

Bringing the largest crowd of the night, and that’s really saying something when it was Feargal McCrory who was headlining, McGlinchey is continuing the trend of well-supported Derry fighters.

He agreed that “I’ve great support back home in Derry and it showed tonight with the way they all spent their hard earned cash to come up and watch me in Belfast.”

“My fans, my sponsors, everyone’s one hundred percent behind me. A few of my sponsors were there for the first time and I feel like I impressed them too.”

“Hopefully I can bring some [shows] closer to home.”

McGlinchey, who trains at the new Wild Atlantic Boxing Club in Culdaff, Donegal, had shifted three stone ahead of his debut – and noted how there is still more to go ahead of a rapid rise through the ranks under former cruiserweight world champ McCrory.

“Middleweight is the goal,” he stated.

“I weighed in at 12 stone 1 [9lbs above middleweight]. I’ll do it in a couple of fights time no problem, comfortable and easy”

“Short term plan, within a year, I want to be challenging for Irish titles – at middleweight, super middleweight, whatever weight I am at the time, it’ll probably be middleweight.”

“Hopefully move on in the next couple of fights, maybe one more four rounder, I felt comfortable there, so I’ll move on to six in the next couple of fights.”

McGlinchey is proudly sponsored by Granny Annie’s, Glennform, ThanksJosh Clothing, and Watches of Wales

Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)

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