St Mary’s College pupil Jack McGann to take part in TV cage fight

Oct 2 2008 by Our Correspondent, Crosby Herald

St Mary’s College pupil Jack McGann to take part in TV cage fight

ST MARY’S College pupil Jack McGann will take part in a TV cage fight in front of hundreds of paying fans in Liverpool.

McGann, 15, will fight a 16-year-old from Doncaster in the semi-professional bout at the city’s Olympia theatre on Saturday.

He is fast gaining a reputation as one of the best young prospects around, mixing his training with his GCSE studies at his school in Crosby.

Saturday’s bout, set to be shown on ITV4, will be full-contact, mixed martial arts contest of three five-minute rounds in a caged octagon.

But it holds no fear for the 5ft 5in teenager, who has been sparring since he was 11.

Jack, who is trained by his father, Anthony, owner of Wolf’s Lair, the largest mixed martial arts gym outside the US, said: “I would take fighting in the octagon over doing my French homework any day. I think that I am much better at the fighting. I have sparred against older lads even since I started out and I have always felt OK.

“I have always competed at other sports like jujitsu and kick-boxing. I am not sure what career that I want to do when I leave school yet, but it is good to know I have this as an option.”