- Planet Sport writer
- 27 June 2022
Peter McGrail demands tougher challenges ahead of third professional fight
McGrail is looking to continue his impressive start after winning his first two fights at the M&S Bank in Liverpool.
Peter McGrail is a professional fighter who had a stellar amateur career. He represented Team GB at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
McGrail though tasted elimination from the Games in the round of 32 to Chatchai-decha Butdee.
A decorated amateur, McGrail won his first national title when he was 13 and he has not looked back since.
In 2014, he won bronze medals at both the Youth Olympic Games and World Youth Championships.
He then became European Bantamweight champion in 2017. And, topped that at the Commonwealth games in 2018 with another gold.
While Tokyo was his first Olympics competing, he did get a taste in Rio in 2016.
McGrail was chosen to help prepare and spar with the competitors in Brazil and from there on in, he knew he wanted to be an Olympian.
Professional record
McGrail turned pro after the disappointment of the delayed 2020 Olympics.
His first pro fight was against Ed Harrison in Liverpool in October 2021. It was a six-round Super-Bantamweight contest on the undercard of Liam Smith vs Anthony Fowler and McGrail prevailed.
Liverpool’s own @peter_mcgrail ready to go 2-0 on home territory 🔥 #boxraw #BennAlgieri pic.twitter.com/PLWu166pjH
— BOXRAW (@BOXRAW) December 10, 2021
It was the perfect start for McGrail who won every round - 60-54 on the judge's scorecard.
He almost got a stoppage in the sixth round with Harrison on the ropes, but the Blackpool fighter managed to see the bells.
McGrail's second pro fight was in December 2021 against Nicaraguan Engel Gomez.
The fight was a six-round, 124-pound contest on the undercard of Conor Benn vs Chris Algier. And McGrail wasted no time in getting Gomez out of there.
McGrail's slick foot-work and his in-and-out style looked too good for Gomez in round one. And he proved he was a class above in round two as he moved on to the front foot.
A number of quick one-twos had buzzed Gomez, before a sharp left hand floored his opponent and the referee waved off the contest.
Tokyo 2020
McGrail was fortunate enough to qualify for Tokyo in March 2020 before the Covid-19 pandemic scratched the Copper Box event.
McGrail was the last GB boxer to qualify at the London event before the competition was suspended.
He defeated Czech Republic's Kevin Godla in the 52-57kg category by a unanimous decision.
McGrail moved in and out quickly to tag the taller Godla on numerous occasions.
He punished his younger opponent's mistakes and was a comfortable winner on the scorecards.
McGrail was back in European qualifying action in France in June 2021, but missed being seeded after a defeat by Hungary's Roland Galos in the quarter-finals.
The No.1 seed was surprisingly beaten by a 3-2 split decision to 26-year-old Galos.
Galos was awarded the first round in a highly-skilled contest. And his patience and counter-punching style was enough for him to take the match-up, despite one judge giving the Brit all three rounds.
On July 24, McGrail was eliminated in the opening round of his Olympic encounter against Chatchai-decha Butdee.
The southpaw star was outpointed 5-0 with all five judges scoring the bout in favour of his Thai opponent.
Gold medals
McGrail was a gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018.
He defeated Northern Ireland's Kurt Walker by a split 4-1 decision to take top spot on the podium.
It was a classy display from the 'Scouse Lomachenko', who made Walker miss on numerous occasions before punishing him.
Southpaw McGrail won the first two rounds, but his taller opponent came on strong in round three, but the Brit had already done enough.
McGrail also took gold a year earlier in the European Championships in Kharkiv, beating home Mykola Butsenko using his superior speed.
Walker gained revenge at the European Games in June 2019. The Northern Ireland fighter won a 3-2 split decision against the number one seed in a repeat of the 2018 Commonwealth Games final.
McGrail ended with a bronze in Minsk and he repeated that months later in Russia at the World Championships, losing 4-1 to Cuba's Lazaro Alvarez Estrada.
Personal Life
Liverpool's McGrail is coached by Paul Stevenson at Everton Red Triangle Boxing Club.
Net Worth
McGrail is believed to be worth an estimated $1million.
