After winning the silver medal at the 1992 Olympics, Wayne McCullough decided to leave his home in Belfast, Northern Ireland and move to Las Vegas where he worked under the auspicious of the late, great Eddie Futch.

McCullough stayed busy over the first couple of years of his career and claimed the NABF bantamweight title against previously unbeaten Javier Medina (TKO 7) in January 1994. Several months later he edged home against grizzled veteran and former titleholder Victor Rabanales in his first defense in what doubled up as a WBC bantamweight title eliminator.

However, the world title shot didn't come next, and McCullough had to play a waiting game. He fitted in three more fights before the opportunity came to face Yasuei Yakushiji in Nagoya, Japan, a year later and was given around four months' notice.

"We had a three-week training camp in Las Vegas, then went to Utah for three-weeks, then one-week in Hawaii, we stayed right beside Waikiki beach, it was nice running early morning on the beach," McCullough told The Ring. "We flew business class from Hawaii to Nagoya one-week before fight. Eddie planned everything perfectly."

"The Pocket Rocket" knew it was a sizeable task to unseat the tall, skilful champion in his home city.

"[Yakushiji] was making the fifth defense of his belt," he said. "I was unaware, going into this fight, that no fighter had ever successfully gone to Japan from Ireland or the UK and brought a world title back. The odds were stacked against me."

McCullough and his team, which consisted of Futch, two other coaches, a doctor and two sparring partners, were largely well received at the Nagoya Hilton Hotel during their time there.

"[It's a] different custom," he said. "The Japanese people were respectful. The streets were so clean. [The] press were all over us as soon as we landed until we left. I just stayed at the hotel unless we went running or to the gym.

"The hotel was top class, and we had the right food and drinks for me. We told them what we needed, and they cooked it. Although somebody ordered mine and I ordered theirs the first day in case they put something in it to me make me sick. After that it was good. Top class hotel and people."

That's not to say there wasn't some gamesmanship on the Japanese side.

"My door was banged two nights in a row, probably Yakushiji's people trying to scare me," he said laughing. "I'm from Belfast in the midst of The Troubles [laughs]. First night the door was banged, I got up and looked out. The second night I stayed in bed."

While sparring typically concludes a week before the fight, the challenger was asked if he would spar four days before the fight in front of the local media.

"Eddie was fine with it," he recalled. "He always said to me I was good in the gym but better in the fight.

"I played with the guy. I hurt the guy. I was sharp and ready. Maybe they were thinking something else."

At the weigh in the challenger tipped the scales a trim 117¾, however, the defending champion had a few issues.

"I was good, I weighed in and he did with sports shorts and yelled something in English," he recalled. "He was a few pounds over. I was happy rehydrating, I had probably put two-pounds on before he came back about 10 minutes later, no shorts, just underwear then he made weight. He was trying to play games with my head."

Come fight night, which was 30 years ago on Wednesday, McCullough was able to shine and claim the WBC title against the excellent champion.

"My legendary coach, Eddie Futch, had created the perfect game plan during training, so that I would peak at the perfect time," he explained. "He had me jabbing at different angles even though the champion's best weapon was his jab. At fight time, in the dressing room, Eddie said, "I want you to jab." I was so confused because I knew Yakushiji had a good jab.

"I went out started landing my jab to the body and head, at different angles. The game plan worked perfectly, and I secured a split decision, making history as the first fighter from the UK and Ireland to win a title in Japan, as well as Ireland's first WBC champion. I think wins like this are almost forgotten about."

When the scorecards were read out, judges Barbara Perez and Tom Kaczmarek scored the fight 118-110 and 116-113 for McCullough, while the other judge, Jae Bong Kim, sided with Yakushiji 116-115.

The likeable Irishman, who is now a trainer, enjoyed the moment with those closest to him before landing a rather expensive bill!

"The fight was at lunchtime," he recalled. "We had a party in the hotel the night of the fight. There was probably a total of 20 people who travelled to support me.

"Expenses are covered by the manager, usually. I was hit with a $125,000 bill and my manager still took 25 percent of my purse. He brought his wife and family. In the ring you see his kid with me. I paid for that! I made around $575,000. After everything including my taxes cleared, I made around $180,000."

Yakushiji never fought again, while McCullough went on to make two successful defenses, one in Belfast against Johnny Bredahl (TKO 8) and the other in Dublin where he engaged in a savage war with Jose Luis Bueno (SD 12).

Weigh issues saw him head up to junior featherweight where he came up short against grizzled veteran Daniel Zaragoza (SD 12) for the WBC title. The iron-jawed fighter went on to come up short when he faced Naseem Hamed (UD 12) for the WBO featherweight title, Erik Morales (UD 12) for the WBC 122-pound title, Scott Harrison (UD 12) for the WBO 126-pound belt and twice against Oscar Larios (UD 12/ RTD 10) for the WBC junior featherweight title.

Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at elraincoat@live.co.uk and you can follow him on X @AnsonWainwr1ght