Former Cardiff man Ross McCormack suffered a first-round knockout loss in his charity boxing debut against former Leeds defender Matthew Kilgallon
14:48, 20 Apr 2026Updated 15:03, 20 Apr 2026
A former Cardiff City star lost in his boxing debut(Image: YouTube/@talkSPORTBoxing)
Former Cardiff City striker Ross McCormack was stopped in the first round on his boxing debut after facing ex-Leeds United defender Matthew Kilgallon at a charity event.
McCormack spent two years with the Bluebirds, scoring 21 league goals in his debut season after arriving from Motherwell in 2008. The 39-year-old endured a difficult second season with Cardiff before signing for Leeds.
The former Scotland international announced his retirement from professional football in 2023. Having since turned out for non-league clubs, McCormack switched to a new sport when he was lined up to take on Kilgallon in a charity boxing bout.
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He entered the ring under the nickname ‘Wrecking Ball’ at A Night To Remember II in Liverpool on Friday evening. After a competitive opening exchange, ‘Cold Killer’ Kilgallon slipped his opponent’s punches before bringing the contest to a swift conclusion.
A flurry of body shots and powerful left hooks sent McCormack down in the corner, with referee Ian John-Lewis stepping in to wave off the fight just over a minute into the first of three scheduled two-minute rounds. The two former Leeds players hugged once the bout had ended.
McCormack and Kilgallon were among several all-footballer match-ups broadcast by talkSPORT. A Night To Remember II was organised by Pro Project Promotions, a company established by former Arsenal goalkeeper Graham Stack.
The event also featured Swansea City legend Lee Trundle overcoming former Watford and Burnley striker Chris Iwelumo. Ex-Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme also pulled on the boxing gloves to face retired Bristol City stalwart Bradley Orr.
Former Cardiff forward McCormack enjoyed a successful playing career. Having broken into the Rangers team and appeared in the Champions League, he had a brief stint with Motherwell before joining the Bluebirds.
Ross McCormack spent two years at Cardiff City(Image: Matthew Ashton, Corbis via Getty Images)
A move to Leeds followed, with the Scotland international overcoming a difficult first season to score 19 goals in his second campaign. McCormack reached a career best of 29 goals and was handed the captaincy during the 2013/14 season. His success at Elland Road led Fulham to pay a Championship-record £11m for his services, scoring 48 goals in 102 games during a two-year spell in west London.
He once again broke the Championship transfer record upon joining newly-relegated Aston Villa in 2016 but failed to establish himself at Villa Park. The forward was sent out on loan on several occasions, including spells in Australia and a return to Motherwell as his career began to draw to a close.
Meanwhile, his boxing opponent Kilgallon came up through Leeds’ youth academy and made 95 appearances for the first team, though he left more than three years before McCormack’s arrival at the club. The 42-year-old also represented Sheffield United, Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers and Bradford City throughout his career before retiring in 2021.
The boxing card was raising money for Children’s Charity Merseyside and Autism Merseyside. Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher and former world champion boxers Natasha Jonas and Liam Smith served as ambassadors for the event.
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