Prescott finally makes weight
2pm, Titanic Dock and Pump House, Queen’s Island, Belfast was the time and location of the weigh in for the Paul McCloskey-Breidis Prescott WBA title eliminator. However, Breidis Prescott had to delay making weight as he showed up a pound over the 140lbs light-welterweight limit.
Earlier, at 1.30pm to be precise, Team Prescott arrived at the second floor meeting room at the Pump House to do an unofficial check weight. Five minutes later, Team Prescott exited the Pump House and did not appear again until 2.40pm. At that stage McCloskey and all of the undercard fighters (with the exception of Sid Razak and Damian Taggart who will weigh in tomorrow) had weighed in.
After the prolonged delay, Prescott made weight and the fighters’ carried out their head to head. Despite, Prescott’s theatrics of ‘cut-throat’ gestures and holding up six fingers to signal what round he predicts he will win in, McCloskey smiled and remained relaxed.
“I guarantee I’ll beat Breidis,” said McCloskey. “His win over Khan was three years ago – the Amir Khan I fought is streets ahead of the one that he fought, and I lived with that Amir Khan for six rounds and would have gone on as long as he wanted.
“I’ll outbox Breidis – he can try to get into my head about running or spoiling or whatever, but the bottom line is I’m a better boxer and I will beat him with my boxing skill.”
Prescott countered: “McCloskey needs to be very prepared for it as he is not getting past the sixth round and I don’t want him to come and hide as usual, he has to fight – the people have paid to watch a fight and that’s what they’ll get. But he’s getting knocked out, no question.
“I’m excited to be over here and I’m very well prepared for Saturday. He’s never been in the ring with anyone as powerful as me, I don’t want to fight a “bicycle fight” – hugging and dancing in the ring – I want to fight Paul McCloskey not Lance Armstrong.”
Earlier, the co-support fighters Carl Frampton and Mark Quon weighed in. Frampton looked in tip top shape, ripped and visibly the bigger man.
It was confirmed that just under 6000 tickets have been sold for the Odyssey card, which will be shown live on Sky Sports.
12 x 3 WBA World Light-Welterweight Championship Eliminator
Paul McCloskey (Dungiven) 9 st 13 12 v Breidis Prescott (Columbia) 9st 13 6
12 x 3 Commonwealth Super Bantamweight Championship Carl Frampton (Belfast) 8st 9 4 v Mark Quon (Australia) 8st 9 6
6 x 3 Flyweight Luke Wilton (Belfast) 8st 2 2 v Arpad Vass (Hungary) 8st 4 2
8 x 3 Middleweight Eamonn O’Kane (Dungiven) 11st 7 12 v Joe Rea (Ballymena) 11st 8 14
4 x 3 Featherweight Marc McCullough (Belfast) 9st 1 2 v Dai Davies (Merthyr Tydfil) 9st 1
4 x 3 Welterweight Liam Hutchinson (Belfast via Queensland) 10st 11 12 v Arron Fox (Westbury) 11st 1 4
4 x 3 Lightweight *Damian Taggart (Co Tyrone) v Sid Razak (Birmingham)
*Although Taggart was present to do an unofficial check weight, it is expected that both fighters will officially weigh in tomorrow.
