Wayne McCullough: 'I'm Fit Enough to Fight'

Two days prior to a scheduled fight in Belfast, Ireland, in October 2000, former world champion Wayne McCullough said that he was advised never to fight again due to a cyst that was discovered on his brain.

One more blow could kill him, McCullough said that he was told.

Back in Las Vegas, the Nevada State Athletic Commission suggested a visit to UCLA's department of neurosurgery, where Dr. Neil Martin, after consulting with some of America's top neurosurgeons, deduced that McCullough's cyst "wasn't in my brain," but, "in the space between the brain and the skull," McCullough said.

Nicknamed "The Pocket Rocket," McCullough was nonetheless denied a license by The British Boxing Board of Control until 2002, when both Nevada and the BBBC allowed him to re-enter the ring.

Now 39 years old, McCullough, who is married and has a teen-aged daughter, wants to end a 19-month retirement, even as he says that his past diagnosis has promoters running away from him for fear of him dying in the ring on their watch.

A loser of his last three bouts, McCullough is 27-7, with 18 knockouts, having won two world title belts over the 118-, 122-, and, 126-pound weight classes. McCullough reflected on his career, as well as his desire to resume it, with FanHouse during this Q&A.



FanHouse: What do you hope to accomplish by boxing again?

Wayne McCullough: I know that I'm 39 years old, but I'm one of those guys who is like Bernard Hopkins. He's 44 years old, and he keeps himself in shape all of the time. I don't drink or anything, which is unusual for an Irishman.

I keep myself in shape too, and I'm ready at two weeks notice for a fight. I would love if someone who would give me three or four good fights, back-to-back, six weeks apart. If I started that process at the beginning of the year, then, by the end of next year, I would be ready for a world championship.

I would rather be promoted the right way instead of being used. But if I had to be used, I would be. My wife - who is my manager - isn't getting any calls right now. I even told a promoter I'd fight for free. That's the position I'm in right now.

I've never been knocked down on the canvas in my whole career, as an amateur or a professional, so maybe people think that instead of an easy night, it's going to be a tough night. If I had the opportunity, of course, I would take it, because I'm fit and ready and healthy.


FH: What do you see as the roadblocks to your getting back into the ring?

McCullough: I've been told the economy is bad. I'll fight for 10 grand, or, 15 grand, or whatever, which is really nothing. It's not about the money, as much as getting back in there. Promoters use all sorts of excuses. They say the opponent's asking for too much money.

They also don't think I'm healthy because of the brain cyst scare I had nine years ago.


FH: Is the brain cyst a big issue?

McCullough: I think it's ridiculous, because that was back in October of 2000 and I proved that I was healthy. The British board's own doctor's reports were kept from me for 13 months, and when I got them they, and the chief neurosurgeon at UCLA, said that my cyst was insignificant and that I had no further dangers in boxing.

But that was two years of my career down the drain that I couldn't get back. I've never had one doctor put down on a piece of paper that 'Wayne McCullough should never fight again.' There was a cyst, but it wasn't in my brain. It's in the space between the brain and the skull and maybe not even a cyst at all.

The chief neurosurgeon at UCLA thinks it may just be an arachnoid space and that it was present from birth. Those two years of my career were stolen from me, but I can't look back at that. I'm healthy, which is the most important thing. I go to UCLA every year for my MRI scans.

I have had my license in Nevada, New York, Britain. And if I'm licensed by the top states and top countries around the world, I shouldn't have any problem anywhere else. Other fighters may run away and fight in small states, ones that don't have a good commission.

But I want to make sure that I'm OK. I've done that over the last nine, 10 years. I've always made sure that I'm healthy. I want to be around for my wife of almost 17 years, Cheryl and for my 11-year-old daughter, Wynona. My co-manager, Stuart Campbell, who is also my lawyer, looks out for me and takes care of the business end of my career.


FH: What do you believe would happen if you went to Las Vegas or another state where you're licensed and if you tried to fight right now?

McCullough: I've asked promoters, and they tell me that their cards are filled. Sometimes they'll say, 'next year, give us a call.' But then, I'll call them again, and they'll be booked solid until the middle of the year. And then maybe I'll call in mid-year and they'll be busy until the end of the year.

I was scheduled to fight in March of this year in Madison Square Garden, but a week before the fight, the promoter pulled the whole card. So I had a fight scheduled but the whole card was scrapped. Nevada is where I'd love to fight, but the promoters control boxing and they control the venues.

They control television. They control everything. I'm not with a promoter. I'm a free agent. But I've always been a fan favorite on television, so I just can't understand why.


FH: What do you believe that it is?

McCullough: Probably because back in October of 2000 when I supposedly failed my brain scan the promoter of the card told me that my career was over, and that one more punch to the head was going to kill me. The promoters can say that they're worried about my safety if I fight on their card.

But I've proven time and time again that I'm fit and healthy enough to fight. I wouldn't be taking any chances - well no more than any other fighter who steps into the ring. I got my license back the professional way. If people look back at that, it's stupid.

And if someone brings it up again, I could bring a lawsuit against them because it's totally irrelevant. I've fought for three world championships since the brain scare. I'm 39 years old, and after getting punched in the head for 32 years, I'm fine.

When you compare my scans from 1993, to '95, to '97, they're all exactly the same. I know that I've still got it, and that's why I want to fight. Look at Evander Holyfield. He's 46, 47 years old. And he just lost for the world championship, which I believe he won, against Nikolay Valuev.

If Holyfield wants to fight and he's still healthy, then why not? And Hopkins is 44 and he's still wanting to do it, so why not? I think today, athletes are getting stronger and better, and they can go longer, and I'm one of those guys.


FH: In a perfect world, what would happen that would allow you to fight?

McCullough: I would be looking at two quick fights, back-to-back, six weeks apart, and then after that, fight for the world championship. I would love to be one of the oldest guys to win the super bantamweight championship. I would love to get that opportunity.

I won my first world championship on my first go. I fought for six more, and even though I lost every one, I was robbed for two of them. I could have been a three-time world champion in three different weight classes. The judges took it away from me.

I would love to get that last shot. It's not about the money because as a bantamweight, back then in '95 and '96, it was unbelievable. But today, unless you're the big marquee fighter, you're not going to get paid much money. I would like to have two fights right away, which would be great.

That would be the perfect scenario. I would fight every month if they allowed me to.


FH: What do you believe that the promoters are afraid of with you?

McCullough: Maybe they're thinking about the brain scan thing, which is irrelevant. As I said to my wife recently when another fighter died, fighters are dying in their 20s because they're young kids who probably don't understand how to make weight properly. Older fighters are more mature, and they know how to make weight.

It's the young kids who are dying, not the older guys.


FH: What does your wife think about the possibility of your fighting again?

McCullough: She's with me every day, she sees that I'm OK. She sees that I'm disciplined and that I train hard. My wife's the closest one to me, and if I came out of a hard spar and my speech was gone, she would be the first one to say, 'You know what? You need to hang your gloves up.'

I might not take it too well, but I've told her before, 'You be the first one to tell me to retire. When you say I should retire, I'll retire. Just tell me. It will be hard to accept, but just tell me.' So far, she hasn't told me to retire.


Wayne McCullough's fight-bio:

Wayne McCullough was a highly-decorated amateur, earning the gold medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand, while representing Northern Ireland. McCullough earned a silver medal for Ireland at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, and a bronze medal at the World Cup before moving from Northern Ireland to Las Vegas to begin his professional career in February 1993.

McCullough won his first 20 professional bouts, 15 of them by knockout, including the first 12 straight by stoppage. In his 17th fight, in July 1995, McCullough's split-decision victory over Yasuei Yakushiji earned him the WBC's bantamweight (118 pounds) crown.

McCullough twice defended that title, stopping previously 26-0 Johnny Bredahl in eight rounds, and earning a split-decision over Jose Luis Bueno, before rising to featherweight (126 pounds) for a July 1996 decision over the course of 10 rounds against Julio Cesar Cardona.

Back down at super bantamweight (122 pounds), McCullough unsuccessfully challenged for Daniel Zaragoza's WBC title, dropping a split-decision in January 1997.

Three fights later, McCullough lost an October 1998 bid for Naseem Hamed's WBO featherweight championship by unanimous decision. Two fights after that, McCullough fell short in a superbantamweight bid for Eric Morales' WBC belt by unanimous decision in October 1999.

McCullough scored three consecutive stoppages before taking aim at WBO featherweight champ Scott Harrison, only to fall short yet again by a unanimous decision loss in March 2003.

McCullough then ended an 18-month layoff when he stopped Mike Juarez in two rounds in September 2004. Since then, however, McCullough has lost three straight by decision and 10th-round knockout, respectively, to Oscar Larios in February 2005 and July 2005, and by sixth-round stoppage to Juan Ruiz in June 2008.

Record: 27-7, 18 knockouts; 4-4 in title bouts; lost last four title bids to Zaragoza, Hamed, Morales and Harrison.