Paul McCulloch's holidays are booked. His belief in his son is unwavering.
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As such, the Tamworth butcher expects to drive his boy, Josh, to Brisbane next month, take his seat at the Mansfield Tavern and watch him do what he has done to 18 of his 22 Muay Thai opponents: beat them.
On June 25, the 21-year-old - unbeaten since 2016 - will fight Toowoomba's Brandon Spain in what will be the Tamworthian's third professional bout.
Paul always takes holidays when his "little man" fights. "It's the best feeling: driving your son to the fights," he said.
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McCulloch hopes that a win over the experienced Spain will result in his next bout being for the coveted WBC national super featherweight title.
The former Australian amateur champion looked special in his first two pro contests.
He delivered a first-round, leg-kick KO in his first fight, then dismantled his next opponent to earn the RISE lightweight national title and the performance of the night.
McCulloch's other family members - including his mum, Janet, his brother, Daniel, his sister, Sophie, and his stepfather, Paul Ryan - have joined Paul on the McCulloch train ever since he started fighting.
Last Friday marked the seventh anniversary of McCulloch's first training session under Scott Chaffey at Chaffey's Black Belt Academy. It was 2015.
In 2014, he was badly burnt in a Tamworth High science lab accident and was airlifted to Westmead children's hospital in Sydney.
Paul taught his son how to box when he was a child. He is "proud" of him. And he praised the Chaffeys for "the hard work" they "put into him".
His son, he continued, was "the best fighter in Australia".
"He's won everything at every weight. He just wants to get better and better."
McCulloch said his father's support of him "means a lot".
"Especially when he says how proud he is of me. It's the main goal that I want to do in life: make my dad proud."
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Mark Bode
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
