February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
The Geesala junior middleweight softened up Saunders, a 33-year-old journeyman out of Cincinnati, Ohio, with some thudding body shots in the second stanza before landing a powerful right to the head.
Saunders, who’d been stopped in his last four fights going into the Coyle match, was out on his feet when the referee stepped in.
“It was a grand way to get back in the ring,” said Coyle, who was taken the distance for the first time in his last fight five months ago. “Saunders is a tough guy.”
Coyle, a knockout specialist dubbed the “Western Warrior,” improved to
10-1 with nine KOs. He squared off with Saunders, now 9-7, buoyed by Dunne’s WBA super bantamweight championship success in Dublin on March 21.
“It lifted me personally just to see one of our own do it,” he said.
Dunne stopped Ricardo Cordoba in the 11th round.
On what next as he continues his march to contender status in the 154-pound division, the Chicago-based Coyle said he’d sit down with his advisors this week to discuss possible fights.
McCULLOUGH REBUFFED
Don’t expect a Wayne McCullough-Bernard Dunne scrap for the WBA belt title anytime soon.
Dunne promoter Brian Peters dismissed McCullough’s public challenge to the new champ last week saying the “Pocket Rocket” should get a few good wins under his belt first.
“Wayne’s a good friend and he’s been a great servant to Irish boxing as well as a great world champion,” said Peters. “However he hasn’t won a fight since 2004 so he really would need to put together a few good wins including a win over a ranked contender before it could be considered a viable fight.”
McCullough, a former world bantamweight titlist, was peeved.
“I read Brian Peters’ response to my challenge of Bernard Dunne…I was a little taken aback that Brian would write a disrespectful press release but I’m not really surprised,” McCullough riposted in a counter press release.
“Maybe if Brian didn’t see me as a threat to Bernard, he would have put me on some of his recent cards,” the Las Vegas-based Ulsterman said after pointing out how his recent attempts to return to the ring have fallen through.
“Brian and I have been friends for many years. He was even a guest at my wedding back in 1993. Today he suggested that I need to get a “few good wins … before (a fight with Bernard) would be a viable fight” but if my fights keep falling through, how can I do get those wins?
“I’ve asked him on numerous occasions to help me get back in the ring – as recently as this past weekend – but for one reason or another it hasn’t happened,” McCullough added.
WBC 118-pound holder from 1995 to 1997 when he relinquished the title to campaign at super bantamweight, “The Pocket Rocket” pointed out that he wasn’t the only former champion seeking a title shot.
“Several other world level fighters have returned to the ring following long layoffs or losses and were right up there fighting for belts in their comeback fights.
“I’m serious about this fight. I’m ready, willing and able to fight Bernard. I’m not trying to hype this fight. There is no need for that. Even though we’re all friends, this is business and I refuse to bad mouth Bernard or Brian. I’m not that type of person.
“There should be no excuse under the sun for Brian [or Bernard] to refuse to fight me. After all, as Brian stated in his response to me, I’m coming up to my 39th birthday!” McCullough pointed out before wondering if the Dunne camp really viewed him as an “Old man or big threat?”
In an open letter to Dunne earlier, McCullough had noted the clamor from some boxing fans saying “if you and your team want it! I’m an over the hill old man so I’m not going to be much of a threat to you!”
He said Dunne’s title need not be on the line on the line, although that would be a bonus. “Anyway when I beat you, the belt is going to stay with an Irishman!”