SIMON COLLINS reports

The 28-year-old former St Canice’s ABC member was pushed all the way when securing a 97-93 points win over his English opponent in the ten round bout on the undercard of Andy Lee’s victory over American Willie Gibbs.

And despite sustaining a severe cut to his right eye following a clash of heads in the second round, McCloskey successfully extended his unbeaten record.

Now the Co. Derry man believes he has taken a step closer to securing a title fight against either British light-welterweight champion, David Barnes or the current European champion, Gianluca Branco.

“I can look forward to a title shot of some sort next,” predicted McCloskey last night. “As far as I’m concerned anything less than that would be a step backwards. I’ve proved my worth against one of the top 10 British fighters in Nigel Wright and I want a British or European title fight now.

“That was a tough fight for me but I think I showed that I can fight up close and to be a champion you’ve got to be able to do everything. I now need to step up to bigger things,” he added.

"I have the momentum and I plan to keep going. My strength has improved since I started the weights and supplements and it showed in Saturday’s fight. I know that I've been ready for some time for a title fight and I can't wait to get the chance.

“Hopefully I’ll get a shot at Barnes now for the British title or else Branco for the European title. I don’t know what’ll happen. I would say I’ll hear what’s planned for me over the next three or four weeks.”

Dominated

McCloskey dominated the opening three rounds on Saturday night but following an accidental clash of heads at the end of the second round, he revealed that it became increasingly difficult to see as his eye began to swell up, forcing him to abandon his ‘natural fight’ and his Hartlepool opponent battled back to make it a closely fought contest.

“I got a headbutt at the end of the second round and I couldn’t really see properly after that. I hurt my hand in the latter rounds but these things happen. You have to react and get on with it. I had to knuckle down,” maintained the Dungiven man.

“I was out-boxing him and when I came in at the end of the third round my vision was closing up. I could feel the swelling going up straight away. I couldn’t box from range because I was missing and getting caught as well, so I was forced to go in close.”

McCloskey believed the English champion presented the toughest test of his career to date and said it was a challenge he required in order to prepare him for the next level.

“It was a good, tough fight and exactly what I needed. It was probably my toughest fight to date. It wasn’t my natural fight but I had to adjust in order to win and I came out on top so I showed that I can box at long range and up close. He‘s a good fighter but I never thought I was ever in any real trouble.

“I felt I hurt him a few times. I definitely rocked him in the last round.