MCCULLOUGH SEEKS REDEMPTION.

Byline: ROBERT MORALES Boxing

Wayne McCullough fought 12 hard rounds with Oscar Larios in a challenge to Larios' World Boxing Council super bantamweight championship last February in Lemoore.

When the fight was over, McCullough came away disappointed for two reasons. First, the three judges scored Larios the winner by four, eight and eight points. McCullough thought he had done well enough to perhaps earn a draw. At worst, he figured he might lose by two points.

Then Larios, who had said he wanted to be the first to stop McCullough inside the distance, claimed he could not because of a right shoulder he said he injured early in fight.

The bad taste in McCullough's mouth has not gone away, but he will get a chance to get rid of it Saturday when he squares off with Larios in a rematch at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, with Larios' belt on the line again.

Larios-McCullough II will be on the undercard to the world middleweight championship fight between champion Bernard Hopkins and Jermain Taylor. The card will be available on HBO pay-per-view.

``I came on strong at the end and we (him and trainer Freddie Roach) thought it was good enough to get a draw,'' said McCullough, of Las Vegas via Belfast, Ireland. ``I thought the decision could go 115-113 to him, or a draw, or 115-113 to me.

``Most people have said that. When (two) judges gave me two rounds, that was a total embarrassment. I may as well have stayed in the dressing room and not even come to that fight. Believe me, those judges won't be working a fight of mine again. If I see their names ... They really took away from a good fight.''

Larios (55-3-1, 35 KOs) compounded things by making excuses as to why he could not finish McCullough, who at 35 is seven years Larios' senior.

``He said he was going to knock me out and all that, and then he said he hurt his right shoulder,'' McCullough said. ``But he was throwing right hands all night. There are no excuses to be made.

``Then he said again the other day that he was going to be the first to knock me out. What signs did he see in the first fight that would make him believe that?''

Good question, but when Larios was scheduled to be on a national conference call Thursday so he could be called on the carpet, he was a no-show. Instead, his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, spoke only in general terms for him.

``He (Larios) wants to prove he can knock out Wayne McCullough,'' said De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions and Saturday's lead promoter. ``The likes of (Erik) Morales and other great fighters weren't able to knock out McCullough, and Oscar wants to knock him out.

``He wants to prove to HBO and the rest of the world that he can get this knockout win.''

--Oscar's expectations: De La Hoya said he believes Saturday's event will do well both in person and on pay- per-view.

``The indications for pay-per-view are outstanding, and we are expecting 15,000-16,000 at the MGM Grand,'' De La Hoya said. ``We are putting our marketing bucks behind it, as well as HBO, and we are hoping this turns out to be a blockbuster.''

--Morel suspended: Eric Morel, a former flyweight champion and U.S. Olympian, was to challenge Fernando Montiel for his WBO super flyweight belt on Saturday's card. However, Morel was recently convicted of second-degree sexual assault of a minor and is facing up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced next month.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission on Wednesday voted to suspend Morel's license, citing a rule that allows such action if a fighter ``is arrested or convicted on a charge involving moral turpitude.''

De La Hoya on Thursday said he was searching hard for a replacement.

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Wayne McCullough, left, faces off against Oscar Larios (not pictured) in a rematch in Las Vegas on Saturday.

John Gichigi/Getty Images

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