Craig’s aiming for ‘Bigger’ things after claiming Ulster Elite crown

CRAIG Bigger is hoping to represent Northern Ireland at next year’s Commonwealth Games following his success at the Ulster Elite Championships.

The 20 year-old produced a performance that belied his tender years and his relative lack of experience to defeat current Irish Elite champion, Letterkenny’s Paddy McShane 4-1 on the judges scorecards to claim the 51kg crown.

Bigger’s performance was one he will remember and savour for some time to come, given that it delivered a first ever Ulster Elite title to Cookstown Boxing Club and looks likely to elevate him into the Commonwealth Games, which are scheduled to take place in Birmingham next year.

Another reason for the former Cookstown High School pupil to lock Thursday’s victory in his memory banks is because, not only did he defeat the reigning Irish champion, but he did it in his first bout in nearly two years.

“It went as well as I could have dreamt,” Bigger beamed. “For my first fight back after Covid [the pandemic], to beat the top man at my weight, it was great.

“I knew it was going to be a tight fight so I did well to get the win.”

Bigger, who had a stellar underage career, which didn’t begin until the age of 15, had hoped to resume his career between the ropes in September at the Irish Elite Championships but he was forced to withdraw after contracting Covid.

That was frustrating for the talented pugilist who felt he was being ‘left behind’ at that stage after a frustrating couple of years inactivity.

“I took Covid, which knocked me back,” he explained. “I was meant to fight in the Irish Elite’s and I took Covid four or five weeks before them so I was pulled out of them because my fitness wouldn’t have been up to scratch.

“Getting the fitness levels back up wasn’t too bad, I just knew I wasn’t sharp enough for the Irish because I needed to be at 100 per cent and on top of my game.

“In the first lockdown I swayed a wee bit off the routine but I came back onto it and knuckled down when I had these to aim for.

“I was thinking I was falling behind because everyone else was getting back and getting the ring-rust off and I was lagging, but I came into it well. I got the sparring I needed, got the job done and I’m buzzing, over the moon!”

Craig plans to take a short break over the Festive period before redoubling his efforts for what he hopes will be a memorable 2022.

“I’m going to have a little bit of down time with my family over Christmas, relax and then I’ll get straight back to it in the new year,” he added.

“I’m aiming for the Commonwealth Games, which these are a good indicator for, so we’ll see what happens. It would be unbelievable.”

Also fighting at the Ulster Elite’s in Belfast was Craig’s Cookstown BC clubmate, Teo Allin, who lost out in the quarter-finals of the 60kg class 3-2 to Dominic Bradley, while Carrickmore’s Aaron Travers beat Denis Boriskins 5-0 in the 92+kg class before losing by the same scoreline to Thomas Maughan in the final. And Two Castles BC’s Jude Gallagher claimed the 57kg crown after a thrilling tussle with Conor Kerr.

Meanwhile, Cookstown BC were also celebrating Irish title success at the weekend when Conor Whitehouse won a national youth crown in Dublin.