Peter McGrail has competed at the highest level of amateur boxing for many years and is not discouraged by one defeat, but professional boxing is a different game. If one loss can damage the career of a young professional fighter, a second loss can be devastating.
McGrail, from Liverpool, England, had a great fight against Jarico Quinn last December, but it all fell apart when the aggressive American got up from the floor twice and then shockingly ended the bout with a right hand.
McGrail picked himself up and quickly returned to the gym, but the talented 28-year-old would be no man if even the tiniest bit of doubt or anxiety didn’t cross his mind while preparing for his return fight against Mark Leach in April.
Leach may not be the hardest puncher, but he is a championship-caliber fighter and has the ability to exploit weaknesses in his opponents, but McGrail seemed completely unfazed by what happened in Texas, and his knockout loss to Quinn can only be attributed to a moment of carelessness.
After 10 rounds and a victory, McGrail must have had less of a subconscious “what if” and is enjoying preparing for his next bout with Brad Foster.
“I didn’t really think about it too much, and I wasn’t even thinking about what happened against Jarico when I was walking to the ring with Leach,” McGrail told Boxing Scene. “It’s boxing, you’re going to have to go swimming and get wet. I couldn’t let it bother me too much. I just had to get back in the gym and work on what I did wrong, and that’s what I did.”
“I beat Leach but like I said before, it was all about winning. As a professional fighter, you don’t want to lose, but you definitely don’t want to have two straight losses like this so early in your career. It’s good to be back on a winning path and, of course, I’ll have a good domestic fight against Brad Foster and go from there.”
As fighters rise through the ranks, they face many tests of their abilities, but perhaps the toughest test comes after the almost inevitable first defeat. Some fighters never regain that feeling of invincibility and even change their style after the defeat.
Some people use the memory of defeat and the reasons behind it to fuel them and find ways to use the experience as a lesson to become more focused, more committed, more calculating and more effective.
“It depends on how you look at it,” McGrail said. “I could be upset and depressed about what happened, but it’s all part of my story. The way I look at it, it’s a good experience. Maybe I’ll have another fight. I’ll have another fight. I took him down twice, I hit him all over the ring, and I’ll probably have another fight like that. I might not be in a rush then. I don’t think I was in a rush that much. I just got hit with some good punches. But through that experience, maybe if someone has me backed against the ropes, I can handle it a little smarter, a little more calm. Obviously, it would have been better if it hadn’t happened, but it’s a good learning curve for me.”
A solid win over Leach not only allowed McGrail to bury some ghosts, but also paved the way for him to face Dennis McCann in the future.
The European Boxing Union ordered McCann to immediately use the European title he recently won from Ionut Barta in his defence against McGrail, and the BBBoC made the McGrail-Foster bout the final selection bout for McCann’s British title.
It’s five years since Foster himself held the British and Commonwealth titles at 122lbs – the former kickboxer was just 21 when he rose through the domestic boxing ranks to claim the belt after just 12 bouts.
A narrow defeat to the then European champion Jason Cunningham ended Foster’s winning streak, before he lost his next bout to the dangerous Barta.
Foster was forced to rebuild but suffered bad luck in his return last November, losing a decision to unbeaten featherweight Rhys Edwards. McGrail is one of many who believe Foster was unlucky not to have his hand raised and is hoping for a determined challenge from the former champion.
“Yeah, I think he was just unlucky to lose, that’s all,” McGrail said matter-of-factly.
“He’s only had two losses, and the Cunningham fight was pretty close, but it’s just one loss, right? But he’s a good fighter and I’ve been treating him like I’m fighting for a world title, so I’ll be in tip-top condition. And I think this is the fight where I can shine and make my case and I’m excited, to be honest with you. I can’t wait.”
“I only think about myself. The best Peter McGrail would beat 95 percent, maybe 100 percent of the fighters in the super bantamweight division. So I’m not too worried about Brad Foster. I know he’s coming to fight, to win. I expect it will be a tough fight and I’ve been training hard.”
John Evans has been a contributor to numerous popular publications and websites for over a decade. Follow John at x John Evans
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