Peter McGrail beats Marc Leach, wants Dennis McCann next!

Peter McGrail is keen to get into the mix domestically after getting his career back on track. The Liverpool super-bantamweight entered the ring on Saturday night, exclusively live on DAZN, knowing that a win was the only option after suffering defeat last time out.

McGrail was headlining at the Exhibition Centre in his home city in a clash for the vacant WBA International title against former British champion Marc Leach and came away with a dominant decision win. The showdown –– which came just over four months after ex-Commonwealth Games gold medallist McGrail’s fifth-round knockout loss to Ja’Rico O’Quinn in Arizona – came about after the American withdrew from their scheduled rematch, citing personal family problems.

“This victory was really important to me,” McGrail, whose brother Joe recently signed for Eddie Hearn and Matchroom and notched up his 10th pro win on the same card, said in the aftermath. “It was important to win and to be headlining in my home city, I felt like there was a bit of pressure on myself.

“We passed that test with flying colours,” he added, “and beat a tough, awkward opponent [in Leach]. I landed some heavy shots, head and body, and he stayed in there, so fair play to him.

“I’m over the moon with the win and this one was ’win by any means’. That’s what we did and now we can push on from there.”

Everton Red Triangle-trained McGrail, 27, is now 9-1 with five quick, after claiming a 100-90 scorecard and a pair of 99-91 tallies in his win over Salford’s "Livewire" and has his sights set on British champion Dennis McCann, if the O’Quinn return doesn’t materialise.

McCann (15-0-1, 8 KOs) is 23 and trains in Liverpool at the famous Rotunda gym. He claimed the vacant British bauble with a unanimous decision win last time out against Brad Strand, a stablemate of McGrail’s. ‘The Menace’ also holds the Commonwealth and WBO Inter-Continental crowns in the 122-pound division and a fight between the pair would signal further strength in the Matchroom and Queensberry working relationship, with the Maidstone man being promoted by Frank Warren.

“I don’t believe O’Quinn wanted to be in the ring with me and I reckon he’s ’parcelled’ it," McGrail added. "That’s the fight I want but if not then we’ve got the British title route to go down as well. I’m in a good position but we’ll obviously speak to Eddie, speak to my team and then we’ll make a decision. Things are good, we’re back to winning ways and we can crack on from here.

“That’s a fight we’d love to have with Dennis. He’s boxed one of my stablemates, he’s the same weight as me and I’ve seen him over the years. He’s got the British title, I believe I’m the best in Britain and there are a few others that think they’re the best in Britain, so let’s get it on, if that’s the route we’re going to go down, if the Ja’Rico O’Quinn fight’s not there.”

Hearn, meanwhile, echoed the sentiments of McGrail: “Ja’Rico O’Quinn is a fight we really have to put right but, at the same time, we won’t wait around for it either. He’s contracted to a rematch and we will hold him to that after he got the opportunity in [America], but in the spirit of Matchroom against Queensberry, I love the Dennis McCann fight and that’s a top domestic fight between two really skilful, talented lads.

“There’s plenty to do for Peter but he’ll have a small break and be straight back, hopefully for the Ja’Rico O’Quinn fight, and then who knows in September, [there] may be a little British title dust-up with Mr McCann.”