Craig Bunn makes winning return to action

12.03.12

Manchester’s Craig Bunn returns with win

By Michael J Jones

FORMER amateur star Craig Bunn made a winning return to the ring last Friday. In his first contest in the light-heavyweight division, Bunn won a one-sided four-round decision over game Darren McKenna. The show was supposed to be head-lined by “Vicious” Kieran Farrell in a Central Area title fight but after several opponents pulled out, he was forced off the bill.

Bunn, trained by Joe Pennington, looked good in his first fight in over five years. Previously a light-middleweight, Craig came in 14lbs heavier than he’d ever weighed before against McKenna. Bunn had been inactive after serving time for assault but did his time and is keen to make the most of his second chance in the fight game. At nearly 26-years-old, the 5-0-1 fighter is much more settled down and mature than in his troubled youth.

Bunn told Livefight exclusively about his fight with McKenna. The come-backing former amateur star was understandably tense before the contest, “I was really nervous beforehand. I couldn’t wait to get in there but as it was my first fight in so long, I just wanted everything to go right; especially for all my friends and family that had come to see the fight.”

The 6’1” prospect was also nearly caught out by a last-minute change in the schedule. Craig explains, “I’d weighed in and got told I was on last. We were all chilling in Nando’s, it was about half five, and we got a call saying I was actually the first fight on the bill!”

Despite the near-miss, Craig boxed well against Londoner McKenna, winning every round and dropping his out-classed foe in the closing seconds. “My timing and accuracy wasn’t there at first, I was loading up too much” admits Craig. “It was just a bit of ring-rust, I felt sharper and stronger the longer it went. I dropped him in the last (straight right-hand) but as I went in to finish him off, the bell went.”

Craig admits there is a long way to go but wants to stay as active as possible this year. The Hatton-promoted boxer is hoping for a slot on the big Oldham bill next month, headed by Anthony Crolla vs Derry Matthews. Despite previously stating the light-heavyweight limit was where he was staying, Bunn made weight so comfortably for his comeback fight he believes his future could lye at super-middleweight. “I boxed the Friday and as I hadn’t eaten any rubbish at all this year, I went out to eat as a treat over the weekend. I weighed 12st 9lbs for the fight, on the Monday I’d not put any weight on at all. I really think super-middleweight is where I’ll get down to.”
The Darren McKenna win could be the start of many for Craig who really seems to have gotten his “eye of the tiger” back. “It was good to get the four rounds in, it was a good workout” reflects Craig before promising “my next fight will be a four rounder, then I want a six rounder. I want to be kept as busy as possible; fight as often as I can.”

Also on the bill, Bunn’s gym-mate also made a successful comeback over four rounds. Like Craig, a former top amateur, Kallum De’ath scored a scrappy four-round points victory over previously unbeaten Adrian Fuzesi. Twenty two-year-old De’ath eased home by 40-38 on the ref’s card in moving to a perfect 3-0. British based Hungarian Fuzesi, dipped to 6-1.

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