Super-middleweight JJ McDonagh has had some time to cool off following a tense in-ring exchange with Chris Eubank Jr. last weekend.
The 32 year-old Irishman was the subject of criticism by Eubank for pulling out of their contest through injury after three completed rounds.
A shoulder ailment had unfortunately meant McDonagh was unable to continue. McDonagh’s bout with Eubank was the reserve to the World Boxing Super Series Final between Callum Smith and George Groves in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Eubank immediately accused McDonagh of ducking out of the fight after feeling his power. Afterwards, McDonagh attempted to explain himself in the ring.
With Eubank relentless in his belief when speaking to Gabriel Clarke, things threatened to get ugly when McDonagh offer to fight him again without gloves.
Things eventually calmed down. Although Eubank’s comments had a lasting effect on McDonagh. The southpaw was then bombarded with social media abuse by people claiming he’d thrown the fight. Or worse, pulled himself out in order to fix the fight for betting purposes.
Any notion has been firmly denied by McDonagh, who says some of the distastefulness has even come with a racist nature.
“I think a lot of the comments are very unfair. They come from non boxing people who do not realise what it is like to box with one arm against a good boxer like Chris Eubank Jr. Some of the comments have been racist and vile,” McDonagh exclusively explained to World Boxing News.
“I saw comments about me fixing the fight but I have no idea where this came from. I saw nothing about this before the fight, just after the fight.
“My view is it’s blatant racism. I didn’t see this about David Price or Guillermo Rigondeux when they pulled out of their fights (against Sergey Kuzmin and Vasyl Lomachenko).
“When you’re injured and against a dangerous fight it’s suicidal to continue.”
BETTING
Asked if he’d been approached by any bookmakers over betting patterns for the contest, McDonagh replied: “No. My management team looked into it and they paid out on the 3rd round.
“But the keyboard warriors who made up these stupid rumors even made the mistake of calling it the 4th round. Just stupid individuals with nothing better to do.”
Concluding with how long he expects to be out of action, McDonagh was hopeful of fighting again in 2018.
“I’ll get back using it in 3 weeks and rehab it but I will fight in December,” he explained.
Phil Jay is Editor of World Boxing News. Follow on Twitter @PhilDJay
