HEARING Anto Cacace singing his praises at the press conference after his world title victory over Leigh Wood recently was music to the ears of Barry McReynolds.
Cacace wants McReynolds on the undercard if he fights for the WBC super-featherweight title in Belfast later this summer. McReynolds is a stablemate of Cacace at Holy Trinity ABC in West Belfast, and ‘the Apache’ predicts a bright future for the hard-hitting 25-year-old welterweight who progressed to 2-0 as a pro with his second stoppage win last month.
“It was brilliant to hear Anto saying that,” said McReynolds.
“It was good that he got the win – that was the main thing – I was buzzing for him.”
A plumber by trade, McReynolds is up and at it many a morning at 5am for a run and then, after a day’s work, he’ll be straight out to the gym to work with Michael Hawkins and Barry O’Neill. If he’s lucky he’s home for about 9pm.
He’s a busy man and, with his girlfriend expecting their first baby in November, he’ll soon be a lot busier but that’s the way he likes it.
Quiet by nature, his parents took him to the local boxing club when he was nine-years-old to encourage him to get involved in sport and 16 years’ later, the Glen Road native is still at it.
“I was just a really quiet kid,” he says.
“I didn’t go out much or do really anything, so my father thought boxing would probably bring me out of myself a wee bit. It did. All my best mates, all my friends I have now are through boxing.”
A two-time Ulster senior champion, McReynolds won eight national juvenile titles during an amateur career that included 107 wins from 120 amateur contests. Always ear-marked as a fighter with a natural professional style, he turned over last year and is trained by Michael Hawkins senior and Barry O’Neill at Holy Trinity.
“When I was 13 or 14, I was stopping people and dropping people in sparring and fighting,” he said.
“I was very strong and when I was 16 or 17 I was knocking men out, so I always knew I had a punch. I can box too but going pro was always the goal for me. I know I have to work hard and stay patient and take the opportunity when it comes.”
As a youngster, boxing was all he ever watched on TV or YouTube and Carl Frampton was his hero for many years. After ‘The Jackal’ retired, McReynolds switched focus to the likes of Pody McCrory and, of course, Cacace.
“The dream would be to get to their level,” he says.
“Hopefully one day I’ll get there.”
McReynolds has made a bright start to his professional career. He made his debut in Dublin in November last year and stopped Kevin Traynor in the first round. In his second outing, at the Devenish in April, experienced journeyman Stefan Vincent made it to the first bell but McReynolds got him out of the there in the second round. His next fight will be back at the Devenish in June.
“It’s going well so far,” he said.
“Two knockouts... One first round knockout and one second round knockout so I’m happy with that, I’m adapting to the professional game it’s going well so far.”
ARMAGH super-welterweight James Freeman will take on Dubliner Glenn Byrne for the BUI super-welterweight title on Saturday, June 28.
The Irish rivals will do battle at Pearse Stadium in Salthill on the undercard of Galway native Kieran Molloy’s rumble with British and European title challenger Kaisee Benjamin.
Talented Molloy, now 11-0, was a Belfast regular in the early stages of his career during his Conlan Boxing days but he has been fighting in England since he knocked out Sam O’Maison at Falls Park in 2023.
Freeman and Byrne will both feature on the undercard and so too will ‘The Public Nuisance’ Sean McComb. Luckless McComb hasn’t fought since April last year when he out-boxed Arnold Barboza Jr in New York but lost on split decision.
WORLD title challenger Jack Catterall will look to return to winning ways when he takes on undefeated British welterweight rival Harlem Eubank in Manchester on July 5.
Catterall (30-2) makes the move up to 147lb following his split decision loss to Arnold Barboza junior in their interim WBO Super-Lightweight title clash in February.
“This is another huge domestic fight that I can really sink my teeth into,” said Catterall.
“I want to make a statement at welterweight. The ‘Eubank’ name is hot at the moment but I’m ready to put the fire out in style.”
Brighton’s Eubank (21-0) is yet to taste defeat since joining the professional ranks back in 2017. The 31-year-old stopped Tyrone McKenna in nine rounds to pick up the IBF Inter-continental title in his hometown last time out in March.
“This is a fight that’s been on my radar for a long time and I’m delighted it’s finally happening,” said Eubank.
“Jack is a world-class fighter. These are the elite-level match-ups I’ve been calling for and make no mistake, I’m ready. They say timing is everything in boxing, and this summer clash couldn’t have come at a better moment in my career.”
Eubank’s manager Jamie Conlan added: “As we have seen recently, domestic match-ups are what grips the boxing public, especially if a Eubank is involved. This is a massive fight for British boxing with world level implications.
“Jack’s been to the top and, in many eyes, should be a unified world champion. Coming off his second loss, he’s under pressure to prove himself. Meanwhile, Harlem’s riding a wave of momentum in Brighton, having beaten two of Jack’s former opponents more convincingly.
“So, this is the perfect moment for Harlem to make his mark on world boxing.”
