Sport

'Hammer' time for Padraig McCrory as Belfast banger stops Ellison early

Belfast super-middle Padraig McCrory finished the job early last night with a 70-second knockout of Mickey Ellison in Wakefield
Belfast super-middle Padraig McCrory finished the job early last night with a 70-second knockout of Mickey Ellison in Wakefield Belfast super-middle Padraig McCrory finished the job early last night with a 70-second knockout of Mickey Ellison in Wakefield

‘THE Hammer’ struck with ferocious force again last night as Padraig McCrory completed an early night’s work with a devastating knockout of Mickey Ellison in Wakefield.

Although he had lost three of his 15 fights, Ellison had mixed in some decent company and expected to give fellow super-middleweight McCrory a tough enough test behind closed doors.

The west Belfast banger had other ideas, though, immediately taking the centre of the ring and going after his opponent. A big right wobbled Ellison back into the ropes and as he tried to retreat and find cover, McCrory knocked him through the ropes with a straight right hand, right on the button.

There was only 70 seconds on the clock when referee Mike Lyson waved the bout off, with McCrory moving to 11-0 as he sizes up his options for the rest of the year.

“I feel great. I feel a bit bad on Mickey – Mickey’s a very good guy and he came here to win, but it was good to get it done early,” said the 32-year-old.

“This is my first camp with Dee Walsh and Dan Anderson, I feel like I’m getting much fitter and stronger and I think that showed tonight.”

It was a second win at the same venue inside a week for that coaching team, following welterweight Lewis Crocker’s WBO European title success, the 23-year-old producing a polished display before stopping Louiis Greene in the seventh round.

And McCrory admitted the atmosphere in the camp was pushing them all on to bigger and better things.

“It’s great in the gym, great sparring, and Lewis is a class fighter. He can punch as well.

“I have all belief in [MTK vice-president] Jamie Conlan and the team. In boxing, it’s all about timing and I just hope my next fight is the right fight at the right time.”

Earlier in the evening, Michael Conlan’s gym-mate Harlem Eubank moved to 10-0 in his professional career.

The Adam Booth-trained super-lightweight - son of ex-boxer Simon Eubank, brother of famous former world champion Chris – impressed in an eighth round knockout of Martin McDonagh.

MEANWHILE, the EBU confirmed yesterday that Belfast cruiserweight Tommy McCarthy (16-2-0) and Belgium’s Bilal Laggoune (25-1-2) could fight for their strap at a venue and date yet to be decided.

The fighters’ teams have until noon on September 23 to agree terms or the fight will go to purse bids. With Londoner Lawrence Okolie officially vacating last month, McCarthy knew he would fight for the vacant title – and there was speculation about a possible showdown with the Shane McGuigan-trained Chris Billam-Smith before Laggoune was put forward.