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Interview: WBO Featherweight World Title Challenger Wayne "The Pocket Rocket" McCullough
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Interview and Photographs By Chris Curry
17.03 - Wayne "The Pocket Rocket" McCullough is in the final stages of his launch towards the WBO Featherweight Championship of the World in Glasgow, Scotland against Scott Harrison in what promises to be a mouth watering confrontation and one of the best British match ups seen in recent years.
 McCullough from Belfast, Northern Ireland who resides in Las Vegas, USA is one of the most determined and fitness fighters ever to lace on gloves and enter the square ring. This determination has brought Wayne to this point, as he battled through conflicts outside of the ring, so that he could fight within it. Many people would have not persevered with what Wayne and his team went through and this is the type of will power that Scott Harrison will have to meet in his first WBO Featherweight World Championship defence against a man called "The Pocket Rocket" famed for his tremendous work rate which saw him win the WBC World Bantamweight Championship in Japan and heroic displays against some of the best fighters of the modern era at Super Bantamweight and Featherweight.
Team McCullough invited me to witness a training session in Belfast in preparation for this highly anticipated WBO Featherweight World Championship show down. A McCullough work out is something else. After a warm up, working himself into a lather, Wayne's high octane workout takes off as "The Pocket Rocket" focuses on the task ahead under the eye of respected trainer Kenny Croom. Wayne climbs through the ropes and is only a matter of feet away from me as he starts moving through the gears of a high octane shadow boxing workout. The determination was extremely clear on McCullough's face as he moved around the ring, throwing high volumes of punches, slipping shots, placing his feet to fire off counters and moving. This was the "Pocket Rocket" fired up and in tunnel vision with Scott Harrison deep in his mind. Wayne then got down to some great rounds of sparring and witnessing this was a fantastic experience and there was a great feeling and atmosphere within the camp.
 Towards the end of the workout after working through various aspects of an intense training session, Wayne cooled down with skipping and sit ups and talked about his upcoming fight with Scott Harrison and his experiences in Boxing and living in the United States where Wayne and his family are friends with many past and present World Champions. This was a memorable time spent with one of my country's most famous World Champions and on March 22nd, Wayne McCullough aims to become a two time World Champion. Here is what the WBO Featherweight World Championship Challenger had to say about his highly anticipated clash with Scott Harrison, his thoughts and preparations etc.
Wayne, On November 2nd 2002 you completed your third fight of the year by returning to your home City of Belfast. This was a home coming return that the fans and you had been longing for. That night you received a hero's welcome and you fought Nikolai Eremeev of Russia. With a flurry of non stop punching you stopped Eremeev in four rounds and the fans were treated to a classic "Pocket Rocket" display. Would you tell us about this night, the feelings and emotions of returning to the ring at home and your thoughts on the fight and your third stoppage of 2002?
It was fantastic to be back fighting in my hometown. I fought for my license for that reason. Having the support of the Belfast people means a lot to me and after what I had been through prior to getting back my license back, it was definitely a plus to stage a fight in Belfast so soon.
With having a second chance in your career now, you have overcome the darkness that shadowed you for more than two years and now the future is bright. On the 22nd of March you will be stepping into the ring again, this time for the WBO Featherweight Championship of the World. This will be your seventh World title fight, spanning across three weight classes. Scott Harrison is the Champion, having defeated Julio Pablo Chacon for the title. Do you feel Scott Harrison is under estimating you in this fight and having faced established World Champions such as Yasuei Yakushiji who you defeated in Japan for the WBC Bantamweight World Championship, Daniel Zaragoza, Prince Naseem Hamed and Erik Morales, do you feel this is the big factor in this fight with you having the experience of being in the trench's with these guys and digging deep to stand and trade with them over twelve rounds and how equipped do you feel Scott Harrison is to deal with this type of knowledge and experience that you will be bringing to the ring?
 I have been in the ring with some of the top fighters in the world and have stood up to all of them. So for Harrison to say that I am just a bantamweight moving up and that I have not faced anyone like him is insulting my former opponents.
When your styles meet and the fireworks
ignite what way do you foresee the flow of the fight?
Styles make fights!! Harrison is a come forward type of fighter and so I am. It could turn into a war but we'll just have to wait until March 22 to find out!!
Having studied Scott Harrison closely
with your trainer Kenny Croom, without going into your
game plan, do you see any repeated flaw's in Scott's
fights that can be capitalised on and do you see any
strengths that you need to watch out for?
Harrison is a basic fighter but is also strong and without giving away any of my gameplan, we know how to beat him and intend on doing that!!
Your first part of your training for this fight was in Las Vegas, where you have a gym at home. Would you tell us about your training out there and is there any differences or advantages with starting your training in Nevada USA, rather than in the United Kingdom?
I trained in the Pocket Rocket gym in Las Vegas. Training in America is fantastic. You get the best of everything including quality sparring. Vegas stands at altitude so training there is always an advantage.
Who have you been sparring with in the USA and in Belfast and when not in training how do you relax and spend your time?
I have been sparring with 5 guys in total. 3 sparring partners were in Vegas. Joel Santiago, Juan Carlos Santiage and Arturo Quintero. One of them is a national amateur champ, one is a heavier undefeated pro and the other is a well seasoned undefeated pro who is a little taller but heavier than me. When I am not in training, I like to play golf, walk my dog Champ and I also love to watch my old fights on tape!!
The ideal venue for you to fight for the World Championship would have been Belfast. When fighting for the WBC Bantamweight and Super Bantamweight titles it was Japan and America and when you fought for this same World Championship the WBO Featherweight crown, it was against Prince Naseem Hamed in Atlantic City, USA. This time it's Glasgow, Scotland the home of Scott Harrison. But it's not Japan or the United States where the fans of Northern Ireland were so far away, this time it will be like a home away from home with fan's making the short crossing from Northern Ireland to its Celtic neighbour, Scotland. On the night you will have tremendous support from your fans cheering you on and do you think Scott is in for a shock with the support you will receive and that it won't be quite the Lions den he is hoping for?
I know I will have great support from all around the country at the fight. I have a great fan base that support me no matter where I fight. I don't think Harrison believes that I will have a lot of support too so he may be in for a shock!!
There has been some verbal sparring going
on during the build up to this fight, it's not unusual
in the sport of Boxing and you are familiar with
being in the spotlight of a World Championship
fight and you had Prince Naseem Hamed as one
of the most famous verbal sparring fighters in the
sport. For Scott Harrison this has been
the most he has been in the spotlight and for
the first time he's under pressure as a World Champion.
Do you think this added pressure on him is making
him react towards you and your team in this way and
had you met Scott before you both knew you were fighting,
if so what way was he towards you then?
I have been quoted as saying he has no personality
and I still believe that. Most of what has been printed
in the press has been exaggerated. However, there
has been a lot said by both of us and I think he is
taking it more personally than I am. I have been
in the spotlight fights many times and have always
dealt with it accordingly. We have been on a
collision course for many months now but I never really
met him before that.
What would it mean to you, to become a two weight World Champion and what does the future hold for the "Pocket Rocket"?
I would love to be a two time World Champ and follow in the footsteps of another great Irish fighter - Steve Collins. My future definitely looks bright and I am looking forward to many more great fights in my career.
Would you like to give a message to the fight fans reading around the world on East Side Boxing?
I would like to thank them for their continued support. It is always great to give interviews and know that it is appreciated. I also hope everyone watches on March 22!!
Thank you once again Wayne for your time, it has been a pleasure. I am looking forward to going to the fight and supporting you in your bid to become the "New" WBO Featherweight Champion of the World. I would also like to thank Cheryl McCullough for all her help in arranging this Interview and both Wayne and Cheryl for inviting me to a training session in Belfast, an experience I will never forget and thank you to Kenny Croom and the rest of Team McCullough for a memorable day.
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