Going home can often be a shock to the system, but when Wayne McCullough arrived back in Belfast last week, the icy blasts of an Ulster winter brought back a few memories.

McCullough left Northern Ireland in 1992, after winning a silver medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games. He moved to Las Vegas and a professional career that led to him being crowned the WBC bantamweight champion. He has been back since: for the first defence of that world title; and his darkest day, when he was told a failed brain scan had ended his career. Now, at 37, he is back for another new start.

On Saturday at the King’s Hall, venue of that world title defence against Johnny Bredhal 12 years ago, as well as the great nights of Barry McGuigan and Rinty Monaghan, McCullough faces Kiko Martínez, from Spain. In August, Martínez, 21, stopped Bernard Dunne, the unbeaten Irish hope, in one round to win the European super-bantamweight title. It turned into an opportunity for McCullough.

It is nearly 2½ years since McCullough last stepped into a ring, when he was pulled out by his corner after ten rounds of a WBC super-bantamweight title challenge against Oscar Larios in Las Vegas. He was in tears as he argued to be allowed to continue that night and the inactivity since has not encouraged him to hang up his gloves.

“I’ve got the itch, I’ve been training non-stop, every day,” he said. “In June 2006, I was supposed to face Jorge Linares [now the WBC featherweight champion], but that was called off a week before. I’d done all my work, was ready to go and I didn’t get paid. I was then supposed to face Steve Molitor [the IBF champion], but that fell through. That was the time when I said to Cheryl [his wife and manager], ‘maybe that’s it’. I didn’t want to carry on if I was only going to get used. Then Bernard got beaten and my phone started ringing.”

McCullough has never lost outside a world title challenge. That he has lost six times shows how many big bouts he has had since weight issues forced him to give up his world title. But it also shows his perseverance, particularly since his other long layoff after a failed brain scan in 2000. Tests soon showed that he was at no greater risk than any other boxer, although it took him nearly three years to get his licence back.

A win over Martínez could, once again, put McCullough in the world title picture, although he first has the thrill of topping the bill at the spiritual home of Irish boxing.

“Mine was the last major world title fight at the King’s Hall,” he said. “I never got to see McGuigan there, because I couldn’t afford it, but I was there when Dave McAuley fought Fidel Bassa. My brother [Alan] was on the undercard and I worked his corner. It’s got an incredible atmosphere.”

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