
LIMERICK’S GRAHAM McCormack-OโShea will make his professional debut as part of the impressive Celtic Clash 4 card at the National Stadium in Dublin on Saturday night.
Light-middleweight McCormack-OโShea (a former top amateur with Corpus Christi) is listed to fight Jozsef Richard Baba of Hungary, who is eight years his junior. The bout consists of four three-minute rounds and is part of a cracking 12-bout card that includes Eric Donovan and Juancho Gonzalez for the BUI Celtic Featherweight title. There is also a local grudge match between Dubliners Crank Whitehouse and Jay Byrne for the BUI Celtic Welterweight belt.
Speaking exclusively to the Limerick Post, McCormack-OโSheaโs manager Stephen Sharpe revealed: โWe had another opponent (understood to have been Artur Giers of Poland) selected for Graham but he had to pull out due to injury.
โBaba would not have been our preferred opponent for a fighter making his debut as we have very little knowledge of him due to the fact that he has had just two fights (one win and one loss). Also the fact that his win came by way of a knockout makes him dangerous. Graham will have to be 100% focused come and make sure he doesn’t underestimate this fighter.โ
โTo be honest, I donโt care who I fight. Iโm just mad to get out there. And, it wouldnโt bother me if I only found out his name after I win the fight,โ said a confident McCormack-OโShea, who has been preparing for this occasion with leading coach and former Irish professional champion Eddie Hyland in Dublin for the past couple of months.
โEddie has been helping Graham to adapt his boxing to a more professional style,โ Sharpe said. โGraham’ s attitude and determination has been infectious to everyone around him since signing with us and we believe Saturday night is the beginning of what will be an incredible journey for him. I’m in no doubt Graham will produce whatever is required of him to overcome Richard Baba.
โThe plan is to keep Graham busy, get him in a position to challenge for domestic titles over the next 12 months. Considering the incredible response, he has already received it might not be long before professional boxing returns to Limerick.โ
On his decision to join the paid ranks, southpaw McCormack-OโShea stated: โI made the decision to turn professional now because this is whatโs right for me. I believe in myself and that this is the path Iโve been put on.
โIโm overwhelmed by the support that Iโve gotten from everyone in Limerick. Itโs been great, theyโve all gotten behind me in a big way and Iโm grateful for it. I come from the greatest city in the world. I absolutely love boxing and this opportunity that Iโve been given. Iโm going to take it one fight at a time I believe in myself and my team and I am looking forward to this journey.โ