Boxing: Hamed's shot at McCullough

Naseem Hamed yesterday described Wayne McCullough - the Irish fighter who has won the World Boxing Council bamtamweight title as well as an Olympic silver medal -as "not even a fourth division fighter".

And Hamed may get the chance to say it to McCullough first hand on 16 March, if he fights on the Mike Tyson-Frank Bruno WBC heavyweight title card in Las Vegas, the Ulsterman's adopted home town. But before this Hamed must dispose of the Mexican, Arnulfo Castillo, in the first defence of his World Boxing Organisation featherweight title at the London Arena on February 10.

McCullough said Hamed was "scared" to fight him at bantamweight after his eighth-round stoppage of the Dane Johnny Bredahl in Belfast on Saturday.

Hamed, who is recovering from a fracture to his right hand, said: "He's not even a fourth division fighter. He's probably a fifth division fighter."