- Joe Hewlett
- 3 August 2021
Pat McCormack outclassed by Roniel Iglesias in welterweight final
Pat McCormack is the first fighter to have reached the final representing Team GB but got dominated by a highly-decorated boxer.
Professional debut
McCormack will make his long-awaited professional debut at the Newcastle Arena on March 25.
Lewis Ritson, Troy Williamson and Thomas Patrick Ward will headline a busy card, with McCormack making his bow in his native North-East.
Signing pro
Both Pat and Luke McCormack made their move into the professional ranks by signing with Probellum in December 2021.
Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren were interested in the pair, but they signed with Richard Schaefer, who helped shape Golden Boy Promotions.
"We're ecstatic to announce our plans to turn professional by signing with Probellum," said a statement from Pat and Luke.
"We are proud of what we achieved as amateurs, but now is the time to kick on and take our careers to the next level in the paid ranks.
"After our conversations with Probellum it was clear that they were the very best option for us.
"We have full confidence that they will take us to the very top as we look to achieve our dreams of winning world titles."
Pat McCormack, the twin brother of Luke McCormack, won a silver medal as part of Team GB at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics in August 2021.
He qualified for Tokyo with victory at the European Olympic Boxing qualifiers in Paris in June 2021.
McCormack celebrated his 26th birthday in style with a thrilling victory against Russia's Andrey Zamkovoy, a man who had beaten him in 2019 at the World Championships.
2020 Olympic silver
McCormack was handed a bye in the preliminaries.
So his first match-up came against the Belarusian Aliaksandr Radzionau in the round of 16. And McCormack, the top seed, was far too classy for his younger opponent.
McCormack dominated from the first bell and won a unanimous decision. He almost took a clean sweep on the cards, but for the Sri Lanka judge, who surprisingly awarded the first round to his opponent.
Pat McCormack
McCormack prevailed on all five scorecards (30-27 on four, 29-28 on one) at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo.
He proved too quick and skillful for the 21-year-old, who was caught with slick counters from the British medal hope.
He took on Uzbekistan's Bobo Usman Baturo in the quarter-finals. He picked up a split decision victory this time around after a close-fought three-rounds of action.
McCormack did not have to face anyone in the semi-final. He advanced via walk-over with eventual bronze medalist Aidan Walsh being unable to compete.
McCormack came up just short in the gold medal bout. He was beaten by Cuba's Roniel Iglesias via unanimous decision in the welterweight final.
Iglesias, who won bronze at Beijing in 2008 and gold at London 2012, proved too much for Sunderland fighter McCormack.
Iglesias set a frantic pace and McCormack was floored early in the second round after a big Iglesias left hand. The referee, however, did not score it as a knock-down.
McCormack did bite down on his gum shield for the rest of the fight, but he found his older rival to be too quick.
"I came here for gold and just missed out but in the pros I will definitely be aiming for a world title," McCormack told Sky Sports.
"It will take a few years to build into, but if you're not aiming for a world title then there's no point being in the game."
Silver at World Championships
The Brit had no option but to settle for a silver medal at the World Boxing Championships in Ekaterinburg, Russia in 2019.
McCormack suffered a cut after an accidental clash of heads with Russian rival Zamkovoy in their 69kg final at the start of round two.
Zamkovoy, swinging for McCormack, ducked in head first and butted his rival, opening a nasty cut over his left eye.
It was a cut that proved serious enough to stop the contest and with veteran southpaw Zamkovoy in front on the scorecards he was handed the gold.
While one judge had the fight level at 19-19, four judges had the Russian 20-18 ahead. There was little in the fight with McCormack claiming "I thought I was starting to get on top".
Rio 2016
McCormack out-classed Ablaikhan Zhussupov of Kazakhstan in his round-of-32 bout.
The Sunderland man followed Joshua Buatsi's cracking knockout, and looked in complete control against his younger rival.
In the first round the moment Zhussupov sprang forward, McCormack's right hand met him on the way in.
He was more offensive in round two and he caught Zhussupov with a heavy straight right to take the round on all the cards.
He then closed out the fight in round three with a disciplined display to win 30-27 28-29 30-27 on the scorecards, somewhat closer than the fight had appeared.
McCormack had to face number two seed Yasniel Toledo from Cuba in his round of 16 fight and it proved too much.
He did give Toledo a run for his money though and finished the aggressor in the final round landing several long rights. He won the final round but it was not enough as he lost on a split decision after admitting he made a sluggish start.
"I think I started a bit too slow and I should have put it on him from the first bell, but I didn't so it is what it is," said McCormack.
"I know I can mix it with the best now and I only got beaten on a split decision against a boxer who I think is the best in the world."
Gold medals
McCormack tasted gold at the European Games in Minsk in 2019.
He won a unanimous verdict over Russia's Khariton Agrba in the welterweight division after stopping Lorenzo Sotomayor in the semi-final.
He then immediately set his sights on the World Championship, where he finished with silver, and the Olympics.
The previous year he grabbed two golds in the space of seven months, firstly at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and then at the EU Championships in Valladolid.
A unanimous decision over Northern Ireland's Aidan Walsh gave him gold in Australia.
While he defeated Spain's Youba Sissokho by a 4-1 margin in Spain.
Personal Life
Pat's twin brother Luke McCormack also represented Team GB before turning professional.
Net Worth
McCormack's net worth is believed to be at an estimated $1million.
