The boxing community is mourning the loss of Paul McCullagh Jr, a promising 25-year-old heavyweight whose life was cut short by an aggressive form of bone cancer. The Northern Irish athlete passed away on New Year’s Day following a brief battle with the illness.
His father, Paul McCullagh Sr, has shared the heartbreaking details of his son’s final days, revealing that the young fighter had been unwell for months before the severity of his condition became apparent. The situation reached a crisis point last week when McCullagh Jr collapsed while his father was present.
“When the doctor was trying to tell him he had cancer in his blood and bones, they were taking ages to tell him, so he said ‘Doctor, is it cancer?'” McCullagh Sr recounted to Irish News. “She then just said to him ‘it’s in your blood and bones’. He just turned to me and said ‘don’t you worry Daddy it’s in the hands of God’. A warrior to the end. Of course I fell apart.”
The senior McCullagh rushed his son to hospital, where tests confirmed cancer had spread to his blood and bones. Despite the devastating diagnosis, the young boxer maintained his composure and strength.
“He was my dream son, a kid a father couldn’t be more proud of,” McCullagh Sr said. “Anyone I spoke to always said that is one lad any parent would be proud to have and by the grace of God he has been my son for a short time.”
Known as the Irish Drago for his resemblance to the antagonist from the Sylvester Stallone movie Rocky IV, McCullagh Jr came from a distinguished boxing lineage. His father was a champion amateur boxer, and his late grandfather coached notable fighters including Barry McGuigan and current IBF welterweight champion Anthony Cacace. McCullagh Sr owns a boxing club near Belfast where his son trained for his professional bouts.
The young heavyweight was an accomplished amateur champion who represented both Ulster and Ireland on the international stage. He won his first title in 2012 and claimed an Ulster Elite heavyweight championship in 2019. That same year, he competed for Ulster High Performance against New York and represented Ireland in a dual nations international against the Netherlands.
McCullagh Jr turned professional in 2020, winning both of his professional contests. He defeated Anthony Woolery on his professional debut and secured another victory against Ben Thomas the following year.
The Irish Athletic Boxing Association issued a statement expressing their sorrow: “IABA is saddened by the passing of boxer, 25-year-old Paul McCullagh Junior. A member of clubs including St. John Bosco Belfast and his family’s McCullagh’s ABC, Paul won his first title in 2012, and an Ulster Elite heavyweight title in 2019.”
A representative from McCullagh Jr’s boxing club described him as “a true gentleman in every sense of the word, yet a formidable and powerful presence in the ring.”
“You could not meet a nicer person than young Paul,” they added.
Tributes have poured in from across the boxing world. Former world champion Carl Frampton wrote on X: “Heartbreaking to hear the terrible news about the very talented Paul [McCullagh] Jnr. Deepest sympathies to his Dad, Paul and the rest of his family and friends.”
Aidan Walsh, Irish Olympic bronze medallist at welterweight at Tokyo 2020, said he would “never forget our memories together.”
McCullagh Sr concluded his tribute by saying his son, who won his first title in 2012, was a “true gent” and that he will “miss him every second of every day.”
