IBO Light-heavyweight title: Padraig McCrory (14-0) v Leon Bunn (18-0) (tonight, Fabriksporthalle, Frankfurt, live on TG4)
By Andy Watters
WHEN he hits them, they stay hit. That’s one thing you can say for certain about Padraig McCrory who has battered out four stoppage wins on-the-trot to force his way into contention for this IBO title.
McCrory’s sobriquet ‘Hammer’ tells you all you need to know about his punching power and he’ll need it tonight on foreign soil against local favourite Bunn.
The pickings in Germany have often been poor for away fighters over the years and McCrory knows he’ll need to be at his very best tonight and, after stepping up from super-middleweight, his boxing skills and movement will be as important as his punching.
Bunn, at 30 four years younger than the Belfast man, is an imposing and solid unit at light-heavyweight who has nine stoppages on his record. Not a massive puncher, it is his incessant pressure and volume punching rather than his power that has enabled him to reach this stage.
The German likes to box on the front foot but he’ll have to respect McCrory’s power and the affable Belfast fighter intends to force him back and bring home the belt.
“He will have the physical size advantage but I’m taller and I think I’ll punch a bit better with him,” said McCrory.
“He’s not the biggest light-heavyweight but he is strong. We’ve worked on a few different plans and boxing on the backfoot and letting him walk on to punches is one of them. I think there’ll be different scenarios through the fight when he’s on the front foot or I am so we’ve planned for everything.
“He’s a tough boy, there’s no sign of him ever being hurt or in trouble so I can’t be banking on my power but hopefully we’ve come up with plans for ever scenario that’s going to happen.”
Appearing on the undercard of McCrory-Bunn tonight is Lisburn super-featherweight Kurt Walker takes on Columbian Yin Caicedo (6-4-3) and also in action is Galway’s Kieran Molloy who is up against Georgian journeyman Sandro Jajanidze (10-26-2).
Both are scheduled to appear on the undercard of Michael Conlan versus Karim Guerfi at the SSE Arena, Belfast on December 10.
