By Dean Parr
Tonight, on the John Murray vs. Gary Buckland undercard at Kingsway Leisure Centre, Northenden’s Liam Cullen, 1-0 (0 KOs), will partake in his second pro contest when he collides with the tough Mark Lewis, 0-7. His trainer, Joe Gallagher is looking forward to seeing his charge step into the ring on fight night.
“I’m really excited,” beamed Joe. “He had limited amateur experience with only the five fights, and had a good pro debut. He fought a kid making his pro debut. It was a good, evenly contested bout and it was his baptism to the pros. He met a kid on the day that was as willing and hungry as he was, and he proved to be in good sorts.”
“It was two honest kids making their pro debuts in a good contest in which Liam prevailed as the winner, and I think it’s stood him in good stead,” continued Gallagher. “From that now his confidence has grown, and when people win titles you see how it improves them, and Liam’s improved from his pro debut. It’s given him a bit of belief.
“He’s been sparring Mike Holden and Darren Stubbs for this fight, and he’s coming along nicely. We’re taking our time with him though. He’s a raw kid but he’s got some good skills and guided right over the next twelve or eighteen months, I’m sure people will start talking about him as a good prospect.”
“He’s fighting Mark Lewis who’s a cruiserweight and Liam’s a light-heavyweight,” continued on Joe, now talking about the credentials of Cullen’s opponent. “Lewis has had seven pro bouts, and it doesn’t matter how many he’s won or lost at this stage, because he’s been out in a pro ring seven times, while even though it’s a TV show it’s only Liam’s second.
“To be on the undercard of such a good fight and a prestigious fight is a big thing for him. He’s seen his stable-mate Danny Randall make his pro debut when John Murray fought Jonathan Thaxton. Liam’s excited to be on John’s European title bill. It’s his first time under the TV lights and he’s all geared up for it. He’s looking good and sharp in training, and I reckon he’s a kid to get excited about in twelve months time.”
Liam is just as excited for this contest as his trainer. “I can't wait to get in there now,” he beamed. “I'm just sat about literally and it's all I'm thinking about. I'm just trying to keep myself occupied.”
“It's a big event for me,” expanded Cullen. “My debut was on a small Sunday afternoon show, and this is going to be a big stage for me, really. It's important for me to perform as well, because I know more than likely I'll be on before John, and it sets a good mood. If I perform well, then he's also going to look to come on well.”
The preparations of the light-heavyweight have gone well, with only one part of them going differently to the way they usually would. He said, “The tiny thing that's affected me is that I've not had to think about dieting and I've not had to worry about my weight, but I'm a clean eater anyway. I eat well all the time and it is just part of my lifestyle. It's just meant I've not had to worry about what I'm eating and I could just focus on the training and get all the work done. I'm feeling good.”
Despite being confident, Liam didn’t want to hazard an educated guess at how the contest would finish. “I don't tend to give predictions, and in this case, I'm just going to have to get in the ring and have a look at him because I don't know much about him,” analysed Cullen.
“I do know he’s not going to want to be stopped because he’s not been stopped before and he’s got another fight in the pipeline soon after so he’ll be intent on not being stopped. So I’ll get in, have a look at him, open him up for some big shots, let go if they’re there, and if they’re not, I’m not going to throw them.”
In his pro debut, Cullen out-pointed Courtney Owen, who was also taking part in his first pro bout. “I was dead pleased with it,” expressed Cullen. “We had a good turnout and despite the fact it was a small Sunday show it was packed out. It was a good crowd and a good bit of support. I think I performed to what I was capable of as well. I was a bit gutted I didn’t get the stoppage in the second round because I had him in trouble then, but with it being two minute rounds I didn’t get the opportunity to capitalise on it. I think the rounds will only serve me in the future though.
“With him being a fellow debutant, I expected him to come and want to win and he did. He fought well and threw a lot of punches, but he didn’t really catch me with anything. He did have approximately ten times more amateur experience than I had so the kid had a lot more fights under his belt.”
Also, Liam lauded the experience that was having his first outing in the pros. “I didn’t know a whole lot what to expect when I got there,” admitted Cullen.
“You don’t know how things are going to affect you once you turn up on the day, but it all went to plan. Previously, Joe had taken me to another pro show and I’d been behind the scenes in the dressing room just to see how things work and get a bit of the idea what the crack is getting your hands wrapped and whatnot. It was just a good day all round.”
Tickets for tonight’s show, which will be aired live on Sky Sports 1and HD1 at 10pm, can be purchased from http://www.matchroom.com
