Brett McGinty contemplates turning pro after another Ulster Senior Final heartbreak

The 20 year-old St Johnston man lost a 4-1 split decision to Armagh’s Fearghus Quinn after uncharacteristically running out of gas in the final round.

Having been pipped to last year’s Ulster Elite title at the Ulster Hall by Monkstown’s Aidan Walsh, McGinty was determined to make amends.

He claims the Ulster title ‘means more to me than most’ because of that experience but he graciously admitted he lost to the better man on the night this time around.

Frustrated by his own performance and concerned about the way in which he fatigued in the final round, McGinty insists he will re-evaluate his career but is still contemplating a move to the paid ranks in the near future,

Before then, however, he plans on giving the Irish Seniors ‘another rattle’ early next month,

“I’d say I’ll enter the Irish Seniors, have a good rattle at them and then take it from there,” he said. “It’s definitely an option (turning pro) and it’s going to happen sooner or later. I’ll have to see how these Irish seniors go but I will be turning pro - 100 per cent.”

He already has offers on the table but being crowned Irish senior middleweight champion would give him an extra bargaining chip going into any further negotiations.

“It would be brilliant,” he agreed. “The aim was to be going into the Irish Seniors as Ulster champion but now I have to re-evaluate and pick myself up. I’ll probably get another rattle at Fearghus (Quinn) and I know, if I’m at my best, I will beat him but to be fair, on the night, he deserved to win it.”

The eight-times Irish champion was determined to walk away with the provincial crown on Saturday night given his previous disappointment but was left frustrated as the final round got away from him when Quinn landed a succession of blows with McGinty on the ropes. The Donegal lad never recovered from that onslaught and he was at a loss to explain why he had faded in the latter stages of the fight.

“It’s something I need to address because I did the same the week before in the semi-final,” he recalled. “That fight was very one-side and I had everything my own way but going into the last round on Saturday I was very, very tired.

“Over the years that’s always been my best round. That’s when I always come on strongest. In this competition that hasn’t been the case and I’ve been quite tired going into the last round.

“I’m not sure if it’s something I’m doing wrong in training or something else. I’ll be getting my bloods done to see if anything comes up there but it’s just not normal for me.

“I watched the fight myself and you could’ve given me the first two rounds but at the same time the first round was very close and you could’ve given it against me and, to be honest, there would’ve been no argument.

“For the judges to have it one each going into the last round I’d say that was fair enough.

“ The last round was still a close round but in the last 20 seconds I got caught a couple of shots on the ropes which was absolutely stupidity - a big mistake. And that’s what cost me the round.

“I put my hands down and he caught me two shots on the ropes, the crowd gave a roar and that would’ve swung the judges’ decision.”