Sean McComb has revealed that separate deals to fight Pierce O’Leary and Adam Azim collapsed despite contracts and financial terms being finalized. The Belfast super-lightweight confirmed both proposed high-stakes bouts fell through due to wider promotional complications.
The 32-year-old Belfast southpaw was lined up for an all-Irish clash against Dublin’s European champion Pierce O’Leary. That contest was slated for a major pay-per-view bill, but complications outside the ring prevented the bout from materializing. Neither fighter was unwilling to take the contest, but external promotional issues ultimately forced the match to be shelved.
McComb confirmed that the paperwork for the domestic clash had been completed by both camps. He stated: “It was actually both signed. We both signed to fight each other on the Eubank and Conor Benn undercard,”
The Holy Trinity graduate believes a meeting with O’Leary remains one of the largest potential draws in Irish boxing. Referencing the recent card in Dublin, he stated: “If they had put me and Pierce on this card, it would’ve been a complete sell-out,”
The fighter known as ‘The Public Nuisance’ was also on the verge of securing a contest against unbeaten British prospect Adam Azim. Negotiations reached an advanced stage, with purses and financial conditions fully settled prior to the matchup being withdrawn.
McComb explained that money was not the obstacle holding up the agreement. He stated: “We had an understanding of a fee and everything was agreed in terms of payment.”
The bout carried significant weight for the super-lightweight division, as McComb outlined: “When we spoke about the Adam Azim fight, it was a final eliminator for the IBF world title.”
Following a controversial decision loss to Arnold Barboza Jr., McComb has been working to re-establish his position near the top of the 140-pound division. His recent victory on the Queensberry card in Dublin provided a necessary reset. Although these two high-profile opportunities collapsed through no fault of the fighters involved, the Belfast southpaw insists he remains on the threshold of major honours and requires only one decisive victory to force his way back into world title contention.
