Former cruiserweight world champion Glenn McCrory looked visibly gaunt and ill following the conclusion of a sex assault case.
McCrory was cleared after a waitress made claims against the former boxer, one of which was calling her ‘pet’ in a restaurant exchange.
Hailing from the North East, where the word is a well-known term of endearment [although past its expiry date], McCrory always denied the charges.
The one-time IBF ruler and ex-Mike Tyson sparring partner said he only touched the complainant on the elbow.
Glenn McCrory discusses the case
Speaking to the BBC’s Look North, McCrory – who had lost a ton of weight as the case had a harrowing effect on him- explained the incident.
“That is basically it [I touched her elbow when asking for the starter], which turned a few weeks later into getting a letter saying there was a complaint and would I go to Wood Green police station.
“I went and answered any questions there were. I got a harassment charge. Then that charge, to my utter astonishment, came back from the Crown Prosecution Service six months later as three counts of sexual assault.
“For the last two years, I have been in an absolute nightmare,” said the long-time boxing pundit.
Weight loss
Explaining his weight loss, McCrory states he now weighs forty pounds less than before.
“I’ve lost three-and-a-half stone. I haven’t been this weight since I was 19,” he pointed out.
“It’s a tragedy. I couldn’t come out of the house. I had lots of work and was doing very well [but] everything has gone.
“I’ve lost everything. Everything has been taken away. People were canceling contracts.
“These were friends and people I was close to. They [felt they] had to distance themselves because of the nature of the allegations.
“It got to the point where I needed the Crisis [mental health] team because I gave up. That’s an awful thing to say. I did not want to go on.”
On his use of the word ‘pet,’ McCrory concluded: “I’m massively proud of my region. I’m proud that we are friendly. We do call each other ‘pet,’ ‘love,’ and ‘darling.'”
It could be problematic for McCrory to fully recover from the knockback of his career, which came just a few years after Sky Sports severed ties with him.
With several other jobs on hold, McCrory will aim to put himself back in the shop window where he’s proven his innocence.
