Boxing Update: Page In, Hawkins Out Against McBride Saturday Night

Mike Tyson-conqueror Kevin “The Clones Colossus” McBride, former Irish heavyweight champion and 1992 Olympian, returns to the ring Saturday night, July 10 for the first time in more than two years against veteran Zack Page in an 8-round bout at Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York.

The 37-year-old McBride (34-6-1, 29 KOs), fighting out of Boston, is best known for knocking Tyson into retirement. The 6-6, 280-pound Irishman stopped Tyson in the sixth-round of their June 11, 2005 fight in Washington D.C. McBride fought three times after that, his last October 6, 2007 against Andrew Golota, and he’s been inactive ever since.

“Everything in training camp has been as good as we had hoped,” McBride reported his training camp in New York City. “I’m looking forward to fighting again. It’s a good start. I want to win and then get right back in the ring again. If I can put a few good wins together, I hope to be able to have an opportunity to fulfill my dream of becoming the first Irish-born heavyweight champion of the world. I’d like to fight again in Ireland, too.

“First, though, I have to take care of business Saturday night. I do want to send my condolences to Eddie and Tony McLoughlin (McBride’s new advisors). Their brother, Jimmy, recently passed away. He was going to go to my fight.”

Page (20-29-2), who has replaced Robert Hawkins, is a veteran sporting wins against former world champion Lou Del Valle, as well as Cisse Salif and Jeremy Bates.

“The change of opponent doesn’t bother me at all,” McBride said. “It’s really all about how I perform Saturday night. I’m not concerned about going eight rounds, if needed. The more rounds, the better, for me to get some of the rust off. It’s just going to be nice fighting again.”

McBride-Page will air on Internet PPV live via NESportsTV.com.