Joe McGrail next fight confirmed for February
Just two months on from his December debut, Joe McGrail (1-0, 1KO) is preparing for his second professional contest on February 18 in Bolton.
The unbeaten super-bantamweight will enter into a four-round contest against an opponent yet to be confirmed on an MTK Global event at the University of Bolton.
The 19-year-old kicked off his pro career in style on the undercard of Conor Benn’s stunning KO victory over Chris Algieri on December 11 in his home city of Liverpool.
Joe and his older brother Peter shared the bill, both scoring second-round knockouts on the night, live on DAZN.
Featherweight Peter McGrail, 25, is a 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medalist who turned over straight after taking part in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Like his brother, Joe was also a standout amateur, winning a European junior silver medal and the National ABAs, experiencing over 50 bouts in total.
He reflected back on his pro bow and what he learnt from the big occasion, “I gained a lot of experience just from fight week alone, with all the cameras and all the video interviews and press conferences. I think that when I do it again, I’ll be a bit less nervous and more relaxed.”
Joe opened the Matchroom Boxing show against Spaniard Francisco Rodriguez (0-4), who hadn’t been stopped by any of his previous opponents.
“I didn’t go in there thinking ‘I’m gonna knock this fella out’,” he reflected. “I just went in there thinking ‘I’m going to box and be clever and just land my shots’.
“I took my time, I had that in my head going in, that this was my first fight without a headguard and eight-ounce gloves, so I went in there with my head screwed on, even though the level of opposition isn’t great, but it only takes one punch doesn’t it?”
The talented teenager trains alongside his brother Peter in the Everton Red Triangle gym with head coach Paul Stevenson, as well as unbeaten prospects Andrew Cain (8-0, 7KOs), Nick Ball (14-0, 7KOs), and Brad Strand (6-0, 3KOs), who are all aged in their mid-twenties.
“I’m in the gym everyday with the lads, five days a week, and the sparring is harder than any fights I’ve ever had. Those lads are all beasts and will be pushing on for titles this year, and they’ll be winning titles as well.”
Pleased to have a second fight within just 10 weeks, Joe is hopeful the busy schedule continues, “I just want to get out as much as possible and to keep learning. It’s up to my team how to move me, it’s up to them, and I’ll just go with the flow. I’m not really too fussed about what show I’m fighting on, I’m just happy to be getting out and being as active as I can be.”
Liverpool has always been known as a big boxing city and the Everton FC fan claims to be benefitting from that passionate background with a sizeable fanbase already behind him, he confirmed, “It’s been massive! All my friends and family are behind me, and even loads of people I don’t know are messaging me and asking about tickets for my next fight, so hopefully it just keeps growing.”
The MTK Global show on February 18 also features Liam Taylor (24-2-1, 11KOs); Jack Rafferty; (17-0, 9KOs); Mike McGoldrick (7-1, 2KOs) and Muhammad Ali Zahid (6-0), with tickets priced at £40 / £60 / £80.
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