PRO14’S ON HOLD.. BUT MAY FINISH
‘The Scouse Lomachenko’ hangs on to his Tokyo dream
PETER McGRAIL is a born fighter who could not be more belligerent on the possibility of his Olympic dream being floored by coronavirus.
McGrail qualified for Tokyo 2020 this week and tweeted defiantly with the hashtag #f**kthecorona.
“It was all right, wasn’t it?” he grinned mischievously.
The Liverpudlian has not spent four years beating all comers to make it to the Olympics only to be denied by a virus and the 5ft 6in tall featherweight disagrees strongly with rowing legend Sir Matthew Pinsent’s call to shelve the Games.
“The way I see it, they should go ahead,” he said.
“I don’t know if that’s me being selfish because I want to go and perform in the Olympic Games before I go on to the next stage of my career, but I definitely think they should still happen.
“By the time the Games start it will be July so hopefully things will be better and they will be able to go ahead.
“I’m just staying focused and training as if the Olympics are starting in July until I’m told one million per cent it’s changed.”
McGrail, 23, would accept a short delay to the Games or fighting behind closed doors. “If it was delayed a couple of months, you would have to go with it,” he said.
“If it was delayed a year, then I’d have to sit down with my trainer Paul Stevenson, my family and the GB coaches and make a decision.
“If it was behind closed doors or with people there, either way I’d be looking to get the job done and bring a medal back.”
McGrail qualified with flyweight Galal Yafai at the Boxing Road to Tokyo event at London’s Copper Box Arena before it was cancelled after his fight on Monday.
“I had loads coming down from Liverpool for my fight, my family and all my friends, and they had made a big banner for me,” he said.
“Then on Sunday night, I was gutted when I was told my fight was going to be behind closed doors.
“Then half an hour before going to the venue, the coaches called us all together.
“I thought it was getting cancelled, but luckily for me, they cancelled it after my last session.
“I got the job done, but only me and Galal managed to get through and I feel for the other members of the team, who have not had that chance yet.”
McGrail is a rising star of British boxing and Paul Stevenson, his trainer at
Everton Red Triangle Boxing Club, told his dad within weeks of his arrival aged 10 that he would be a national champion.
Stevenson was right and McGrail has won 10 national titles, as well as European and Commonwealth Games gold and two world championships bronze medals.
The slick southpaw has been dubbed the ‘Scouse Lomachenko’ because his fighting style is similar to the Ukrainian superstar Vasyl.
“People call me the Scouse Lomachenko,” he added.
“We’re both southpaws and in some fights my movement comes across as similar to his.
“I want to do what he did and he won the Olympics before becoming world champion.”
THE Guinness PRO14 season has been suspended indefinitely and the proposed final in Cardiff – scheduled for June 20 – cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
No date has been set for the tournament to resume, but, should any final be played, it will be hosted by the highest-ranked team of the season so far. As things stand, that would be unbeaten Irish side and defending champions Leinster (above). A PRO14 statement said: “Proposals regarding how to restart the season will be reviewed in the near future. “PRO14 Rugby’s working to examine several proposals that can be implemented and delivered to close out the season – albeit at a later date.”
I’m training for Olympics in July until I’m told one million per cent it’s changed
Whether people were watching or not I’d get the job done and bring a medal back