‘Fearless’ Feargal to go ‘toe-to-toe’

FEARGAL ‘Fearless’ McCrory is prepared for a ‘toe-to-toe’ battle against a fellow former World title contender, Keenan Carbajal, when the pair do battle in the ring at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night.

The 32-year-old Coalisland native has been in New York preparing for his return to action after losing the WBA super-featherweight title clash against Lamont Roach last time out in Washington DC last June.

But with a disciplined approach, the former WBA Inter-Continental belt holder is confident that he will overcome the ‘dangerous’ Carbajal in front of a partisan crowd in New York’s storied boxing venue this coming weekend.

“He’s dangerous, he’s very, very good,” Feargal observed. “It’s going to be hard, a very hard fight. It’s going to be in close, it’s going to be a trade, it’s going to be a toe-to-toe battle. I know that and I’m prepared for that.

“He fought for the world title [IBO Featherweight] last fight, which he lost [on a unanimous decision to Hector Andres Sosa] and he also lost over 10 rounds to Leo Santa Cruz.

“He’s competed at a good level, he’s had seven weeks notice for this fight, so he’s coming fully prepared, he’s got his big chance in Madison Square Garden to make a name for himself fighting me. So I have to be prepared and ready for that and I will be. At the end of the day, if I perform as I have prepared to perform then it will be what it will be.

“I’m confident in my ability, I’m confident in the work I’ve put in to the training camp and I’m looking forward to expressing myself on fight night and correcting a lot of things that went wrong last time [against Roach].”

And while he’s pleased with how his training camp has gone since his return to the States in mid-January, McCrory admits that as well as being physically tough, being away from his family and the most recent arrival, his and wife Genevieve’s third child Meabh, has made preparing for his return to the ring more challenging than usual.

“I always look forward to getting home and seeing the family, it’s always there.

“But that’s part of it, it’s part of the sacrifice, but it’s particularly tough this time, probably the hardest because the child was born on the first of October and I’ve been away for a lot of it.

“She doesn’t know me, my own daughter has no clue who I am. She’ll see me on Facetime but that’s no good.

“But that’s just the business I’m in and part of the sacrifices that are made to try to achieve something.”

Motivated by his family as always, McCrory is also looking forward to shining in front of a huge crowd in Madison Square Garden where he feels somewhat surprised by his standing.

“It’s always special, it’s a special place,” he beamed. “I’m looking forward to getting back into fight, to fight and to go through that whole circus of it.

“I’m looking forward to the Garden, MSG. To be one of the main attractions in Madison Square Garden is something I’m so proud of, to generate the interest that I generate and the support the comes to see me is something else. I have to ask myself, ‘is this really happening, is this really me? How is this happening?’

“The last time I fought there it went well and you know what, it’s even got to the point now that my team and I chose the date of the fight, it’s crazy and it’s on St Patrick’s weekend again so we have a lot of Irish coming out.

“We have many people out here making the trip down from Boston, coming up from Philly, Washington, coming over from Los Angeles, it’s crazy. I’m lucky, I’m so, so lucky.”