Padraig McCrory Secures Points Victory Over Leonard Carrillo in Belfast

Belfast’s Padraig McCrory returned to winning form on Friday in Belfast, securing a hard-fought points decision against Leonard Carrillo. This victory marked McCrory’s first professional fight since his sole career loss to Edgar Berlanga in Orlando in February. The 36-year-old boxer defeated the Colombian opponent with a scorecard of 98-91. This was his initial contest following his stoppage by Edgar Berlanga earlier in February. Carrillo entered the bout with a professional record of 17 wins and 5 losses, notably achieving 16 of his victories inside the distance. This formidable power was evident in the Belfast ring, indicating his threat could not be underestimated. The match proved to be a demanding comeback for McCrory, as Carrillo immediately challenged his resilience, landing impactful blows on the local favorite multiple times during a tumultuous first round. During the fight, referee Hugh Russell Jnr momentarily slipped, eliciting laughter from the audience. Soon after, cheers erupted as Carrillo was sent to the canvas by a powerful left from McCrory. The 35-year-old from Barranquilla quickly recovered, however, and subsequently put the Belfast fighter in significant difficulty, though McCrory managed to remain on his feet. Carrillo appeared content to await opportunities for a single decisive counter-punch. Nevertheless, a late offensive push from Carrillo caused some trouble for the home boxer during a tense conclusion to the contest, which ultimately concluded in McCrory’s favor. On the undercard, Ruadhan Farrell claimed the Irish super-bantamweight title by unanimous decision against Connor Kerr, with judges scoring the fight 98-92, 97-93, and 100-91. Despite the unanimous decision, the scorecards did not fully reflect the competitive nature of all ten rounds. Farrell, who had previously defeated Kerr in March for the BUI Celtic title, demonstrated superior performance in an engaging contest and was a deserving victor. Also celebrating a win was Coleraine’s Matthew Boreland, who successfully navigated his first significant challenge in only his fourth professional fight, earning a points victory over Scotland’s Calum Turnbull. The main event featured Liverpool’s Robbie Davies Jr, who overcame a 10th-round knockdown to defeat former super-featherweight world champion Javier Fortuna on points.