Hayemaker Boxing are delighted to announce the acquisition of Liverpool’s Joe McNally to their ever-expanding roster of professional boxers. The ambitious 23-year-old light-middleweight signed for Hayemaker last week and has been pencilled in to make his bow for the team on November 15 at The O2 in North Greenwich, London..
Currently 5-0 (1 KO) as a pro, McNally was a former Junior Olympic bronze medallist and Senior ABA finalist as an amateur. Boasting over 50 bouts in the unpaid game, southpaw McNally has now been punching for pay since March 2007. Following a stop-start beginning to his pro career, McNally is overjoyed to have landed under the wing of David Haye and Hayemaker Boxing.
“I’m just delighted to have signed with Hayemaker,” admits the chirpy Liverpudlian, one of the most sought after young pros in Britain.
“The sky’s the limit for me right now. There were other offers on the table, but I decided Hayemaker were the ones who could give me exactly what I wanted. The thing that attracted me to Hayemaker above all the rest was their willingness to put the power back into the boxers’ hands and also put on fights that have value for money.
“David’s taken his career in his own hands and that’s how it should be. Promoters shouldn’t be getting the big chunk. They’re not the ones getting punched and risking their health. David has given boxers the power back.”
Despite only claiming five pro bouts to his name, the in-demand McNally fights and speaks with maturity beyond his years and number of fights.
“I want world titles,” he says. “I like to do it the old-fashioned way – British, Commonwealth, European and then the main world title. I know, talent-wise, I’m British, Commonwealth and European title level now. It’s only experience and the fact that I need to grow into the 12-round distance that is stopping me. The only thing most of these guys in Britain have got over me is experience.”
McNally continues: “I don’t want to be WBU or WBF champion. Who’s going to remember that? I’d rather have the British title and do things the right way. I’d rather go down fighting than go along doing nothing – taking no risks and never knowing how good I could’ve been.”
Sharing a similar go-getting attitude to Haye, McNally feels more than at home with his new promoter.
“I was with Young England back in 2001 when David went to the World Championships,” he explains. “I was training down in Crystal Palace at the time and watching David’s progress through the tournament was an inspiration. Seeing someone from your camp go that far was amazing. Since then he’s become WBC, WBA, WBO and Ring Magazine cruiserweight champion of the world. He’s shown that it can be done. He’s my idol. I couldn’t be with a better person.”
On November 15 at North Greenwich’s magnificent O2 Arena, McNally and Haye will both share a bill. While Haye will be looking to kick-off his heavyweight assault in fine style against Monte ‘Two Gunz’ Barrett, McNally will be looking to score his sixth straight pro win.
“I can’t wait to box on David’s undercard,” beams Joe, a gym-mate of Derry Mathews and brothers Paul and Stephen Smith. “I’m ready to fight now. I’ve got seven weeks to fine-tune everything and hopefully I’ll come out and get the knockout and impress everyone on the big bill. It’s just incredible to be given the chance to fight on such a stage. What more can you ask for?”
Finally, for those yet to see the skilful southpaw in action, McNally gives the uneducated a quick lesson in his own self-assured style.
“I’m a strong southpaw who can punch,” says McNally. “I’ve got speed, I’ve got talent and I can box going forwards and backwards. I’m going to be really hard to beat. I just can’t wait to show people how good I can become. I know David (Haye), Adam (Booth) and Dave Coldwell have made the right choice.”
*** McNally’s first fight under the Hayemaker banner takes place at The O2 on November 15. Headlining HAYEMAKER 2: ‘One Hayemaker vs. Two Gunz’ will be the heavyweight collision between David ‘The Hayemaker’ Haye and Monte ‘Two Gunz’ Barrett. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact the Box Office on 08448560202 or visit http://www.hayemaker.com/ for details.
RENDALL MUNROE has been voted Midlands Boxer of the Year.
The European super-bantamweight champion picked up his gong at a swanky awards ceremony in Birmingham on Saturday night.
Munroe (16-1) held off fierce competition beating British middleweight champion Wayne Elcock, Carl Froch and amateur star Frankie Gavin to one of the most prestigious prizes in domestic boxing.
Leicester’s punching dustman was shocked to receive the award which Froch had won four years running from the Midlands Area Council.
He said: “I saw all the boxers at the dinner and the last thing I expected was to win the award. I’m over the moon.
“It isn’t just for me. My manager Mike Shinfield and trainer Jason Shinfield also deserve recognition for believing in me when others didn’t.”
Area chairman Dave Roden praised Munroe and FTM for bringing boxing back to the region.
He said: “It is a credit to our Midlands licence holders that the Area is now well and truly at the forefront of professional boxing in the UK.
“Major promoters are once again showing considerable interest in staging TV events in the area.”
The working class hero is rapidly becoming one of Britain’s most popular fighters and on course to challenge for the world title in 2009.
Promoter Frank Maloney hopes to confirm the date and opponent for the 28-year-old’s next defence inside the next ten days
Maloney will also be lobbying for Munroe to be ranked in the WBC top ten when he attends their convention which is being held in China during the first week of November.
Munroe added: “People tell me I keep my feet on the floor. Why should I be any different however well my boxing is going?
“The turning point was signing with Frank last year. He guaranteed me fights at my natural weight.”
Norwich v Ipswich East Anglia derby
Danny McIntosh is confident he will go on to fight for bigger titles after Saturday’s English Light-Heavyweight Title challenge against Steve Spartacus.
The Norwich boxer has won all of his seven fights and will be seeking to keep his home fans happy when he takes on experienced Ipswich warrior Spartacus at the Norfolk Showground in Norwich.
McIntosh’s fellow Norwich boxer Jon Thaxton challenges for the European Lightweight Title as top of the bill on ‘Big Fight Live’ on ITV4 promoted by Hennessy Sports.
McIntosh believes winning the English Title will launch his career and propel him towards the British and Commonwealth Titles.
“It’s excellent news that it’s for the English title because you just look at what has happened to Rendall Munroe recently,” he said.
“He only became English super-bantamweight champion a year ago and now he is European champion talking about world titles. It can happen that quickly and this can be the start for me.
“I’ve got the potential to do that and win titles beyond the English title – this is just the start for me.
“I’ve always had the potential but now I just have to let people see what I can do in a title fight.
“I took the fight against Joey Vegas at just a week’s notice and I boxed his head off in his own back yard, so that shows I’ve got the potential to do more.”
McIntosh says there is an extra edge to this English Title showdown with being it an East Anglia derby: Norwich v Ipswich.
The 28-year-old, who trains at Brendan Ingle’s gym in Sheffield, has told Ipswich hero Spartacus to expect a hostile reception for their local spat.
“Me and Steve have sparred together and he’s a good lad, but he’s my foe at the moment and I’m thinking about doing a number on him,” he said.
“When the Norwich fans here he is from Ipswich when he is announced to come to the ring, he will get a very hostile reception.
“There’s a lot of rivalry between Norwich and Ipswich and football, and boxing is no different.
“Norwich and Ipswich don’t get on and he’s going to be getting it on the night. He will have all the Norwich fans giving him grief as well as me in the ring.”