‘Big Bang’ ready to take dream prize shot

LIMERICK super-bantamweight, Willie “Big Bang” Casey has been handed the chance of a lifetime by Matchroom Sport by calling him up as replacement for Wayne McCullough, who has to withdraw from the Super Bantamweight Prizefighter event at York Hall, Bethnal Green, on May 29.

Former WBC world champion McCullough had been training hard to make his comeback in Barry Hearn’s latest eight-man, one-night tournament but the 39-year-old has been advised not to fight for two months.

“I am really devastated to be missing out on Prizefighter but the hand injury is pretty bad,” McCullough said. “My doctor has advised me not to use the hand at all for training or fighting for the next six to eight weeks.”

McCullough’s misfortune presented Casey with a golden opportunity to take his hero’s place and battle for the Prizefighter crown. The big punching Casey, who has four knockout wins in his unbeaten five-fight career, looks a danger man on an explosive night.

“He (McCullough) was my idol, I looked up to him when I was starting out,” said Casey. “He fought some great Mexicans and took on Naseem Hamed, I remember watching those fights. I don’t feel under pressure as his replacement – I’m just delighted to be in Prizefighter, it’s my chance to prove I can make it to the top.”

The 28-year-old Limerick man comes into the fight on the back of an impressive victory over previously undefeated Canadian super-bantamweight champion Tyson Cave, whom he floored four times.

“They don’t call me Big Bang for nothing – I like a good scrap,” he said. “I like boxers who like to get involved as it makes the fights more exciting. Cave was 10-0 before he faced me and I went to Canada and beat him so my confidence is sky high.”

With less than a fortnight before York Hall opens its doors to the eight contenders, Casey dismissed suggestions he would be under-cooked.

“I train for every type of fight and every type of scenario,” he said. “Anything can happen at the last minute – mentally and physically you have to be ready for that and I am.”

Meanwhile, Mamadou Thiam’s purse for last Saturday night’s fight with Andy Lee in Limerick is to be withheld pending an investigation by the Boxing Union of Ireland.

The Senegal-born middleweight failed to come out for the sending round complaining of a back injury.

Afterwards his manager said he was being taken to hospital for examination but the Boxing Union of Ireland were not happy. BUI President, Mel Christle, has confirmed they will talk to the referee, Emile Teidt, the Medical Officer and other ringside officials before handing over the purse for the fight.