Two-time world title challenger Dennis ‘Hurricane’ Hogan 28-3-1 (7) will be without his new trainer Wayne McCullough when he takes on rising star Tim Tszyu 17-0 (13) at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre in Newcastle, Australia on March 31.
The 36-year-old Brisbane-based Irishman left his trainer Glenn Rushton – who trained Jeff Horn to world championship glory against Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao in 2017 – to work with the former WBC bantamweight champion in Las Vegas where the transplanted Belfast native is now based.
Hogan was set to face former unified junior welterweight champion Julian ‘J-Rock’ Williams 27-2-1 (16) in the United States in December before the American contracted Covid-19 and was forced to withdraw from the bout.
The change from Rushton to McCullough was designed to allow Hogan a full training camp in the United States with the quality sparring that comes along with being based in Sin City.
Now on the verge of arguably the most important fight of his career, it can be revealed that Hogan’s regular cutman Stephen Edwards will be stepping into the role of head trainer while McCullough watches on from afar.
“It wasn’t something that was just thrown at me two weeks ago,” Edwards said in an exclusive interview with The Unofficial Scorecard Podcast.
“We knew from the very start that this was the contingency if McCullough was unable to get out to Australia [due to coronavirus travel restrictions].
“I do all of that role in sparring – and obviously fights are much different to sparring – but also bear in mind that over the last few years when Dennis has been the sparring partner to other boys that are in preparation for a fight at Stretton [Boxing Club] and also last year and this prep, I will have by fight night done Dennis’ corner for probably in sparring for probably over 350 rounds.
“I have also been in his corner in his last five fights, admittedly not in that head seat, but in the corner. I do know Dennis as a fighter. I do know Dennis as a person. So that would be much easier than if a boy walked off the street and just said ‘Hey, would you be my trainer?’
“I’m not the head trainer, I’m assisting Wayne. It’s just on the night I’ll need to be giving him the instructions.”
While Edwards has been handling the corner locally in the gym, he has been liaising with McCullough remotely to zero in on areas they think Hogan needs to work on.
Despite the opportunity, Edwards says he has no desire to step into a coaching role on a permanent basis.
“Absolutely, 100% no,” Edwards laughed. “I’m very happy to step up, I’m excited to step up, but no. I will be very comfortable after this fight to hand that role back to Wayne.”
