The Rocky Road

Lewis Crocker surrendered his IBF world welterweight title after a gruelling battle with Liam Paro in Brisbane.Having won the belt in his closely contested rematch with Paddy Donovan at Windsor Park last September, the Croc was handed a stern first defence: a trip Down Under to face the home favourite.And he very nearly pulled it off, coming on strong in the late rounds and showing much of his feted power as he hurt Paro down the stretch and came close to getting him out of there in a desperate final round.We discuss the bout, and what’s next for both fighters, on today’s show.Renowned Australian journalist Grantlee Kieza joins us to give his view of the contest, as well as to discuss his time in the corner of his country’s boxing GOAT, Jeff Fenech, and his long association with heavyweight Joe Bugner.Lewis’ sister, Alanna Nihell, also comes on to tell us why her younger brother won’t be too downhearted in defeat and why he’s still got the world at his feet.Alanna also tells us why she’ll be front and centre at Croke Park on September 5 for her old friend’s last dance, 25 years after facing Katie Taylor in the IABA’s first sanctioned female bout at the National Stadium.Finally, the voice of boxing in Belfast, David Mohan of BBC Sport NI, gives us his analysis of the Crocker-Paro war.Podcast photo credit: No Limit Boxing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gary Cully could write a book about what’s happened since he last joined us. He’d have a chapter on the best win of his career and perhaps his worst defeat. We’d hear about the realisation that a drugs cheat cut him down in his prime, derailed his momentum and potentially cost him millions of euro. Eye surgery, getting engaged, becoming a dad, developing his businesses, making peace with his inner pain, starting the game of snakes and ladders a few rungs down, rediscovering his passion for boxing, moving up in weight, hustling behind the scenes… it’s all part of The Rocky Road the Kildare man has travelled in recent times. As always, a compelling listen from the engaging Naas boxer who’s determined to put his name up in lights again soon ahead of his 3Arena return to the ring on March 14. Podcast image credit: Babs Daly Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Ravishing’ Paul Ryan tells us about, er, descending from a boxing Hall of Famer in Tipp’s ‘Trojan Giant’ Paddy Ryan, giving himself his own nickname and why Tyrone McKenna owes him a tattoo. The exciting Dublin middleweight moved into headliner category last year with an impressive victory over Limerick’s Edward Donovan at the National Stadium. That triumph came on the back of a career low, when he fell to his second stoppage defeat at the hands of Canada’s Derek Pomerleau at the WBC Grand Prix in Riyadh. But Ryan is nothing if not resilient. And he’s had to be in recent weeks, with his father passing away suddenly on Christmas night. We talk to Paul about growing up in a tight-knit family, the refereeing call that ruined amateur boxing for him and why he’s always wanted to be a champion pro in the mould of his cult hero, Paul McCloskey. He’s now taken over his dad’s gym business while his own ambitions in boxing remain sky-high – and that means big nights in Dublin and Las Vegas. We also talked about hating every minute of school, holidays off the beaten track and… Bill Gates.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is The Rocky Road to Dublin, Part 3. It’s going to be a big night of boxing at the 3Arena on March 14, headlined by the world title fight between Anthony Cacace and WBA champ, Jazza Dickens. Parts 1 and 2 dealt with the main event and co-main event featuring Pierce O’Leary versus Mark Chamberlain. We also brought you interviews with newcomers Adam Olaniyan and Bobbi Flood, who’ll be making their debuts on the night at the old Point Depot. But wait…there’s more! Jono Carroll will be back in Dublin for the first time in over a decade when he’ll take on Belfast’s Colm Murphy for the IBO world super-featherweight title. It’s a fight right out of leftfield for King Kong, who’s been on a measly diet of one fight a year for the last three years. He’s eyeing a clash with the winner of the main event - and came close to taking on Cacace in this one before it became a title defence for Dickens. Carroll’s had a big career so far - announcing himself on the stage at the 3Arena with victory over Declan Geraghty in 2014, going on to win Prizefighter, boxing on the Tyson Fury v Vladimir Klitshko undercard in Dusseldorf in 2015, challenging Tevin Farmer for the world title in 2019, and beating Scott Quigg in impressive fashion the following year. He’s not exactly in last-chance saloon at the age of 33 - Cacace is testament to that, as he’ll be 37 on fight night - but he knows it’s time to strike. Murphy meanwhile is not one to overlook. Posh Boy may not look like your everyday scrapper but he’s had to overcome a late start to boxing and battles with dyslexia, dyspraxia and doubt to make it this far. He’s highly motivated and hugely dedicated. He and his manager Mark Dunlop explain to us why they’re going to claim a notable scalp on their own journey to the top. We’re also delighted to see a comeback fight for Dublin heavyweight Thomas Carty on the bill. Across 2023 and 2024 he enjoyed three knockout wins at the 3Arena and it appears a simple promotional slogan - No Carty, No Party - has come true. But this has truly been a Rocky Road back to Dublin for the popular northsider. With his momentum growing, he headed to New York for a Paddy’s Day showcase last year - where disaster struck. In a clash with 410lb monster Dejuan Calloway at Madison Square Garden, his knee went, and Carty left the ring in agony. Today he tells us about his brutal recovery spell and why it means so much to be back, one year on. Finally, we’ve got a man who, all going well, will be back headlining in Ireland in his own right in time. Cork’s Steven Cairns, AKA The Irish Takeover, has quietly gone about his business since turning professional back in the Covid days of 2021. The light-welterweight has built an impressive 13-fight winning streak, with eight knockouts, and looks sharp as a tack. He boxed at the National Stadium last year, taking out Francisco Javier Lucero in the third round, and his quality really stood out to all at ringside. We talk to Steven about his pro boxing apprenticeship, boxing all over the world, his epic celebrations and why social media management is a must for every young fighter who wants to make it to the top. (Podcast Photo Credit: Queensberry/Leigh Dawney) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anto Cacace is starving. And not just for the Nando’s he’s been waiting all day for. The former IBF world super-featherweight hit The Rocky Road to Dublin to publicise his March 14 clash with Liverpool’s James ‘Jazza’ Dickens at the 3Arena, with Dickens putting his WBA world title on the line in what’s sure to be a mouthwatering clash. ‘The Apache’ tells us why he’s hungrier than ever to keep making history, why he’s skint again after spending all his winnings to date on bricks and mortar, bringing the boys down the M1 for a fight night and why he’ll be dedicating his performance to his late friend, Paul McCullagh Jr. We also sit down with Dickens, who knows hunger all too well. He’s ready to defend his championship belt at the old Point Depot and he tells us about how he used to actually park up his van outside the place back in the day and sleep there on a mattress in the back. Jazza, who’s half-Dub at this stage from his time in the capital under Pete Taylor, is cut from the same cloth as Cacace - a veteran who’s paid his dues, and these two are ready to put it all on the line. Plus we’re joined by brand new heavyweight Adam Olaniyan, who’s making his pro debut on the card. The Tallaght, Dublin boxer stands at 6ft 6in, has won everything at underage level in the amateurs and has pro sparring experience with the likes of Joseph Parker. We hear about his lofty goals in the sport but this is a young man with his feet planted firmly on the ground. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thirty (and a bit) years on from winning the WBC world bantamweight in Japan, Wayne McCullough sits down for a Christmas chat with The Rocky Road. We go back to his breakthrough as a teenager in Belfast, sparring with pros at the Eastwood Gym, his two Olympic Games which culminated in a silver medal at Barcelona 92 and moving to the US to train under the legendary Eddie Futch. What made his mentor tick? And how did they plot his route to championship glory? Wayne then recalls the night itself, how he leapfrogged the various tricks the home crew tried to play on him, and why he wants to return to the Land of the Rising Sun for a reunion with the champion he toppled, Yasuei Yakushiji, who never fought again following their July 1995 bout. Wayne acknowledges Kieran Joyce's role in giving him his Pocket Rocket nickname, pays tribute to his old Ireland team-mates and explains why he wants a role in the future of Irish boxing after Zaur Antia announced his retirement as IABA high performance head coach earlier this year. Plus Wayne also details his struggles with mental health, which he spoke about at the time when such topics were rarely discussed, and he tells us that every day’s a battle on The Rocky Road to happiness. We love a Legends interview over the Christmas period, so enjoy this conversation with one of the Irish boxing GOATs. And Merry Christmas, to all our listeners, from Kev and Simon at the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.