BELFAST’S TOMMY MCCARTHY is the new European cruiserweight champion after he earned a majority-decision victory over Belgium’s Bilal Laggoune on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk’s heavyweight bout with Dereck Chisora on Sky Sports Box Office.
The 29-year-old ‘Mac Attack’ was deservedly awarded the contest on scores of 116-112, 116-113 and 114-114, and in strapping the blue European Boxing Union (EBU) belt around his waist took a step closer towards a dream world-title shot.
The former Irish amateur standout started relatively slowly, perhaps dropping two of the opening four rounds, but had built a healthy-enough lead approaching the championship rounds that even a late burst from Laggoune wasn’t enough to get him close on two of the three cards.
I was a bout during which neither man was significantly hurt but both were exhausted: McCarthy fine body work in particular slowed Laggoune in the second half, but the awkward Belgian wasn’t without his own successes; he landed plenty of clean work of his own but was typically reactive rather than proactive, with McCarthy always evincing a sense that he was in charge of proceedings.
The West Belfast man did tire, too, in the later rounds, but having shipped a couple and endured his only real hairy moments, McCarthy sucked it up and produced a strong final verse to rubber-stamp his overall superiority.
It's fair to say @Tommymac90 is over the moon 😂👏 #UsykChisora pic.twitter.com/SGYdnR9mvj
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) October 31, 2020
“This means the world to me,” an elated McCarthy said post-fight.
I’m the European champ. I’m the roughest, toughest bad boy out of Belfast, and I’m the first black Irish European champion — Black History Month [in UK] as well.
“I don’t want to stick around in Europe. I want Maris Breidis next,” McCarthy added, referring to the Latvian IBF cruiserweight world champion.
"I want @BriedisMairis next!" 👀@Tommymac90 wants to go straight for a world title next after winning the European cruiserweight title! pic.twitter.com/6QGoF0HyrV
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) October 31, 2020
In victory, McCarthy improved to 17-2 (8KOs), while Laggoune fell to 25-2-2 (14KOs) in defeat.
McCarthy is the 15th Irish professional boxer in history to hold a legitimate (EBU) European title, and the first black Irishman to win a professional title of its significance.