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Eastman, Magee and McCullough all come up short.
A certain aging American middleweight champion was not the only fighter to be unlucky this weekend as three British fighters found themselves in the losing column after giving their all in title fights. Two went down the tubes in Germany while a third did not find Las Vegas to his liking. While Howard Eastman and Wayne McCullough actually lost their bouts, Brian Magee apparently out-boxed Vitali Tsypko to such an extent that the audience in attendance at Nurnberg, Germany reportedly booed the split decision in the Ukrainian’s favor. What Magee lost was not only the vacant European super middleweight crown but the IBF’s number one contender position as well. The Belfast based Magee was on the rebound from losing his IBO title to Robin Reid a year ago but must now go back to the drawing board.
Despite the loss, the Irish southpaw will likely earn a world title opportunity in the near future with last March’s aborted challenge to Joe Calzaghe a distinct possibility to happen should the proposed Calzaghe – Jeff Lacy plans be wrecked by Reid. Also on the radar for Magee could be a trip to Denmark to take on WBA strap-holder Mikkel Kessler. As the thirty-year-old Magee has vowed to never return to Germany again, a contest against WBC titlist Markus Beyer seems out of the question.
Taking place in the same arena in Nurnberg, Howard Eastman’s loss to Armenian strongman Arthur Abraham will likely prove devastating to the Englishman’s career. Failed efforts for world honors against Bernard Hopkins and William Joppy were competitive but hardly inspiring and did not exactly generate overwhelming public demand for another title shot. At thirty-four, the “Battersea Bomber” should have some time left on the clock but will have to produce a sustained campaign without a single misstep if he is to earn another crack at the top.
Wayne McCullough again produced a stirring effort against Oscar Larios in an attempt to lift the WBC super bantamweight belt from the lanky Mexican, but as in their first bout in February, the “Pocket Rocket” went home empty handed. Though gifted with the most solid of chins, the Ulster born McCullough lacks true punching power and that alone has kept the former highly decorated amateur from repeating his world title reign of 1995-6.
It may be the end of the road for the strong willed McCullough as the Nevada State Athletic Commission seems no longer willing to watch him take punch after punch, as evidenced by Las Vegas fight doctor Margaret Goodman’s not allowing the hard-nosed boxer to come out for the eleventh round against Larios. McCullough, who lives and fights out of Las Vegas, has to walk through a hail of fire in order to get close enough to be within striking range, regardless of whom he fights, and his lack of dynamite in either hand ensures long bouts at world level.
Ricky Hatton, Scott Harrison, Joe Calzaghe and Johnny Nelson all hold major world titles but this weekend is proof positive that we are not going to see any British fighter join them, at least this month. Perhaps Robin Reid can swell the ranks by taking Jeff Lacy’s IBF 168-pound title in August, but he will have to do so inside a packed arena brimming with the Floridian’s loyal fans and show more sustained stamina than he has of late. If Reid can pull it off, we may soon see a mini super middleweight unification tournament between nothing but British based fighters.
Curtis McCormick can be reached at thomaspointrd@aol.com
