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02/06/2006 Archived Entry: "McCREEDY GREEDY FOR FISTIC FORTUNE"
McCREEDY GREEDY FOR FISTIC FORTUNE
On Eve of 21st Birthday, New England’s Rising Star Looks to Come of Age
Lowell, Mass. - He tough. He’s Irish. And he hails from a place where hardened pugilists seem as plentiful as the mills and taverns that inhibit it. But make no mistake about it. As much as he may sound like the beloved Micky Ward, Joseph McCreedy of Lowell, Mass. is quickly establishing an identity of his own among pugilistic peers.
Like a Mike Tyson uppercut, McCreedy’s impact on the local fistfighting scene has been an immediate one, as a pair of riveting knockout displays widened many eyeballs in 2005. Yes, the one-two punch-out of Steve Vieux and Huston Crayton may be just a prelude to what shapes up as an electrifying career. Sporting a sturdy blend of grit and desire, McCreedy surely wowed opponents and audiences alike in his first two professional tests, leaving local die-hard fight fans thirsting for more. Now, on the eve of his 21st birthday, the Lowell light heavyweight looks to provide the punch, as he kicks off a highly-anticipated February 18 bash (presented by Cappiello Promotions) at Mohegan Sun Arena. Serving as the wick to this explosive fight card, McCreedy’s third professional bout, a scheduled four-rounder (opponent TBA), makes way for an enticing night of action that includes the middleweight meltdown between Rasheem Brown and Gabriel Holguin. “This kid McCreedy has superstar potential like nobody else’sbusiness,” says Rich Cappiello, New England’s premier boxing promoter. “People come to see knockouts, to see guys put out everything they have. That’s what this kid has. When he’s in that ring, he doesn’t hold anything back.” If McCreedy’s first-round walloping of Vieux in his March debut wasn’t enough to convince skeptics of that, then his follow-up drubbing of Crayton in November certainly was. Trained by the legendary Dicky Eklund, the one-time nemesis of Sugar Ray Loenard, McCreedy was nothing less than stellar in his sophomore outing, silencing all critics who felt the callow prospect was not ripe for such a test. Instead, it was McCreedy who pounced on his outmatched foe like a rabid pit bull, unleashing his blinding speed and deafening power to register the stirring results. “Sure, he’s still very young,” says Cappeillo. “But that’s the kind of spectacle that boxing fans crave. That’s the kind of stuff that made Tyson a phenomenon.” Aside from an uncanny ring prowess, McCreedy also possesses the kind of charm that’s uncommon among today’s aspiring superstars. “You talk to this kid for five minutes and you know he’s something special,” says Cappiello. “In today’s game, you need to be able to do more than just fight. To make it big, you need to have that charisma, that magnetic personality in order to get to the next level. Believe me, this kid has it.” Tickets are now on sale for $75.00, $40.00 and $25.00, and available through Ticketmaster and the Mohegan Sun Box Office. Customers may log onto ticketmaster.com; call any Ticketmaster phone number; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
