WAYNE McCULLOUGH has surrendered his World Boxing. Council bantamweight title and will challenge for the super bantamweight belt in Boston on January 11th. McCullough, who defended his title successfully in The Point Depot in Dublin last March, indicated then that he had difficulty in making the weight, and would be moving up.
Now he takes on one of the most experienced boxers in the world at the super bantamweight level, 36 year old Mexican Daniel Zaragoza. A former holder of the WBC bantamweight title, he is now in his third reign as champion. His overall professional record is 53 wins, three draws and seven losses.
McCullough won his title two years ago when he beat Yasuei Yakushiji of Japan, in Japan, in what will always be regarded as one of the best ever performances of an Irish boxer on foreign soil. He defended the title in the King's Hall in Belfast in December of last year in an undistinguished bout. He then moved to Dublin last March and defended successfully against Jose Louis Bueno from Mexico.
The fight went 12 rounds at the end of which McCullough was given the verdict on points. On that occasion he showed signs that he was having difficulty making the weight. Scarcely recognisable coming out the ring, he was badly cut and bruised about the face. Since then he has been back at his home in Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, in amateur circles the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) descended into even deeper problems when two motions severely critical of their president, Nicky White, were passed by wide margins at Saturday's meeting of the central council. However, the motions failed to dislodge the president.
After protracted discussions which ranged over a bewildering range of topics, the question of Nicky White's attendance at a maverick tournament in Wales came up for discussion.
With clear divisions among the members entitled to vote, White surrendered the chair to vice president Breandan O Conaire and threatened to leave the meeting. O Conaire remained in the chair to the end. White left the meeting briefly, but returned to be present when the two motions against him were passed.
The first sought to censure him for attending the maverick tournament in Maesteg in Wales and to warn him about his future conduct. This motion was passed by 16 votes to 7. A subsequent motion proposing no confidence in the president was then put and carried by 19 votes to 11.
Many felt that at this stage Nicky White would have to resign, but this did not happen and further problems now face the IABA as White seems to be determined not to leave the presidency without referring the matter to the rank and file of the association.
However, that can only happen if more than 50 per cent of the central council or 50 per cent of the rank and file clubs in Ireland demand an emergency general meeting. If that doesn't happen it seems clear that White and the other members of the officer board cannot be reconciled.
