Bradley’s looking forward to long-awaited ring return

WHEN Callum Bradley defeated Stefan Nicolae on points at Belfast’s Falls Park on August 6th, 2021 he wouldn’t have believed anyone if they had told him he wouldn’t fight professionally again until 2025.

But that was the reality the Omagh man has faced since he picked up his fifth win in a row in the paid ranks after seeing off Jose Aguilar, Rafael Castillo, Jose Hernandez and Michael Horabin between March 29th, 2019 and that fateful night nearly four years ago.

It would have been easy for the now 25-year-old to throw in the towel and find a different direction to take in life, but he has continued to press ahead, banging on a seemingly endless run of locked doors until one finally opened.

The chink of light that fell on Bradley’s faltering career was brought by Project Boxing, who have signed the talented Tyrone pugilist to a management deal. He is being looked after by Dominic McGuinness, former WBA World champion Anthony Crolla and David McGinley, while he will continue to work with Belfast-based trainer, Dee Walsh, and since penning that particular contract Bradley ha also put pen to paper on a three-year promotional agreement with .ProBox TV, which he hopes will lead to fights in America and elsewhere over the next 12 months and beyond.

“It’s big backing,” he beamed. “A lot of fighters, who turn pro do so without a promotional deal and they have to sell tickets to get on shows and to cover their own backsides, so it’s good that ProBox have heard about me, that I’m doing well in sparring against top lads and they snapped me up.

“It’s good to have that backing because it can be hard when you start out but they are going to bring me over to America, they are willing to put the money into me, which is great.”

But first, he’s just looking forward to finally getting back into the ring where he can display the skills he has honed over the last three and a half years that he has spent in the gym and sparring with some top talents to ensure he would be ready for his next bout, whenever that would be.

Thankfully the ‘whenever’ has been taken out of the equation and he knows he will step back through the ropes on February 21st in the Whites Hotel, next to Bolton Wanderers stadium in Greater Manchester against an opponent to be named shortly.

While relieved to have the opportunity to finally relaunch his career, Bradley feels he’s ready for whoever is opposite him on the night and a change of scenery having never fought professionally outside of Belfast before.

“It’s been a long time coming, it’s three and a half years now, but it’s actually weird because it feels no different, like nothing’s changed,” Bradley beamed.

“I’ve been doing the same things but this time there is an end target and the only change will be sharpening up the diet. The training stays the same, I’ve still been training hard, although the intensity has switched up a little bit which happens when you find out you have a fight!

“I’m looking forward to it and to fight in England because all of my five fights were in Belfast, so it will be good, although when I was an amateur I fought in Denmark, Ukraine, Germany.

“It will be different as a pro, going over a few days before, weighing in and stuff, but it’ll be good.”