Irish Boxing

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by ardy, Dec 19, 2007.


  1. barry big balls

    barry big balls You cant handle the truth Full Member

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    Oct 27, 2009
    Macklin will never reach dunnes popularity in ireland no matter how talented he is.... he would also need the help of either duddy or lee to sell out the o2.
     
  2. irishhitman

    irishhitman Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Dec 25, 2008
    duddy will bash chavez big time.....should they meet
     
  3. nutter

    nutter Well-Known Member Full Member

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    May 26, 2008
    Sierra Fight Night: Macklin prefers the boxing ring to the court room


    Tuesday, 01 December 2009
    This content is protected


    Although he’s had an incredible 2009 reigning European Middleweight champ Matthew Macklin is hoping that 2010 will be even better. The Birmingham based Irishman has enjoyed a tremendous year requiring less than 10 minutes in the boxing ring to capture the British and European Middleweight titles. Macklin will look to round out the year in style this Saturday when he takes on Uruguayan champion, Rafa Sosa Pintos in the main event of the Sierra Fight Night at the National Stadium, Dublin.

    However had things turned out differently Macklin could have been fighting his battles in the courtroom rather than in the boxing ring. As an 18 year old and having acquired nine GCSEs and A levels in English, History and German Macklin began a law degree at Coventry University. However after completing his first year in University Macklin was forced to abandon his studies in order to focus solely on the boxing ring.
    The prodigiously talented amateur became one of the youngest ever winners of an ABA title aged just 18 and but he knew that his inevitable transfer to the paid code would mean having to become a full time professional boxer.

    "I just couldn’t keep both going,” said Macklin. “The old saying is true, you can play football or rugby but you can’t play boxing. You have to give it everything and my studies were starting to suffer because of that. I couldn’t keep them both going to the level I needed.

    “I was up in the morning at 6 to go for a run and then catch the train to uni for the day. Then when I got back in the afternoon I’d fit in another training session before heading to the boxing gym in the evening and then it was back home to try and get a bit of study done before calling it a night. It came to a point where I knew I had to choose between boxing and my education so I had a chat with the university and they told me that I could defer the rest of the degree and come back to it whenever I wanted.

    "It was a tough decision to make because my parents had spent a small fortune on my education but they’ve always known how much I love my boxing and they’ve been very supportive throughout my entire career."

    Macklin hasn’t been back to University since but 2009 has certainly been a “graduation year” as far as his boxing career is concerned. A third round destruction of then British Champion Wayne Elcock in March was impressive considering that Elcock had lasted in to the fifth with destructive puncher Arthur Abraham in an IBF World title fight just two fights earlier.

    However even that performance pales in comparison to Macklin’s first round demolition of Finland’s Amin Asikainen in September to lift the European title. Macklin needed just over 2 and a half minutes to cement his position as Europe’s premier Middleweight and lift the championship belt that has previously adorned the waists of such boxing luminaries as Sumbu Kalambay, Alan Minter, Nino Benvenuti, Laszlo Papp, Randy Turpin, Marcel Cerdan and Ted “Kid” Lewis.

    The back to back title wins have clearly made people sit up and take notice with Macklin now rated at number 6 in the world by the U.S. based Ring magazine while BoxRec.com’s independent computer ratings also list Macklin as the World’s sixth best middleweight.

    Those independent ratings are supported by the major sanctioning bodies with Macklin listed in the top tens of the WBO (4), IBF (5) and the WBC (8). All of which means that Macklin is so close to a World title fight that he can almost taste it.

    His fight with Asikainen was the first engagement of a three fight promotional deal with friend, one time sparring partner and now promoter, Ricky Hatton. Saturday’s clash with Pintos is next on the agenda and all going well Macklin’s next contest will be a mandatory defence of his European title against the unbeaten Russian Dmitry Pirog. Once that’s out of the way “The Hitman” has promised to deliver his charge a World title opportunity.

    "Matthew's performance against Asikainen proves that he’s up there with the best in the world - he was superb and thoroughly professional," said Hatton, who will be ringside in Dublin this weekend.

    "Asikainen, remember, was rated as high as sixth in the world and this wasn’t a lucky one-punch win. It was the result of years of hard work and dedication. When he came to join me as his promoter I promised that I would do all I could to get him to the top. I have sparred with him often enough to know that he has the ability to go all the way.

    "Now I have to keep my word and I will. We need to work very carefully on Matthew's fight’s next year and a challenge against newly crowned IBF champion Sebastian Sylvester - over whom Asikainen holds a win - is one possibility," he said.

    As for Macklin he feel’s he’s ready for the World best right now. "People have been saying that Dmitry Pirog’s a dangerous fighter. I’ve watched him and there’s no doubt he’s very good but I'm not a bit bothered about fighting him or anyone else, for that matter.

    “I’d take on any of the champions right now including Kelly Pavlik. I don’t think there are too many big fights out there for Pavlik at the moment so if that fight came my way I’d jump at it. I believe I’ve the skills, the power and the chin to beat him.”

    There has also been plenty of talk about an all Irish battle between Macklin and Limerick southpaw Andy Lee and the former Tipperary underage hurler is refusing to rule out a mouth watering Limerick – Tipperary clash. “Ideally I want to get past Pirog and then fight for a World title but if that doesn’t come off then I think a voluntary defence of my European title against Andy would make a lot of sense,” said Macklin.

    “It would be an easy fight to make, I’m managed by Brian Peters and Brian’s promoted all Andy’s fights in Ireland so it’s a natural fight. There’s no bad blood between us or anything, it would be strictly business. Andy’s a nice lad, in fact I watched the Pacquiao and Cotto fight with him after his last fight in Limerick and we had a good laugh about fighting each other.

    “He’s told me personally that he’s up for the fight so it’s definitely another option for next year although a World title fight is what I’m really pushing for right now.”

    Macklin’s clash with Pintos headlines the Sierra Fight Night at the National Stadium, Dublin on Saturday. The undercard features two Irish title fights with Dublin Dublin’s Paul Hyland making the first defence of his Irish Super Bantamweight title against Eugene Heagney while another popular Dubliner, Anthony Fitzgerald will also feature in Irish title action.

    Unbeaten Cavan Lightweight Andy Murray also makes his return to the ring on Saturday night having suffered a broken collarbone in September. Cork based Cuban sensation Luis Garcia will look to extend his perfect record on the undercard alongside unbeaten Dundalk Lightweight Michael Kelly and Omagh’s Damian Taggart.

    Tickets for the Sierra Fight Night priced from €40 are available from Ticketmaster (phone 0818 719 300 or visit ticketmaster.ie) and all usual outlets.
     
  4. Jonny The Hips

    Jonny The Hips Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Jul 22, 2009
    In the mirror today lads.

    Whats Macklin's support like in England? is he a ticket seller?? is this fight getting coverage over there???


    By Jonny Stapleton


    The man who defeated Matthew Macklin in a much heralded 2006 fight of the year contender, Jamie Moore, has backed the European Champion to end a terrific 2009 with a victory in Dublin this Saturday before graduating to world level in 2010.



    Macklin propelled himself into the WBO, IBF and WBC top tens by acquiring both British and European Middleweight straps this year, achieving in ten minutes of boxing what some can’t manage in an entire career.



    And recently deposed European Light Middle Weight Champion and former Irish Light Middleweight Champion, Moore believes ‘Mack the Knife’ can cut it at the very top next year.



    Moore, who knocked out the Ricky Hatton promoted Macklin after 10 brutal rounds of the British 2006 fight of the year to claim the British light middleweight belt, believes the former Tipperary minor hurler is in the form of his life.



    The Salford native, whose mother hails from Kilkenny, backed Macklin to defeat Uruguayan Champ Rafa Sosa Pintos in the National Stadium on Saturday night.



    He also stated he thinks the European Middle Weight Champion could face and defeat IBF Middle Weight Champion Sebastian Sylvester in 2010.



    “I don't know much about the guy Mat's fighting on Saturday but from what I am hearing he's not a bad fighter. But regardless I know Mat's a terrific fighter and is in the form of his life and I've no doubt he'll do the business,” Moore explained before commenting on Macklin’s world title ambitions.



    “He's got a tough mandatory against Dmitry Pirog but I feel Pirog is made for Mat. If he does a number on Pirog then he'll be in line for a crack at a world title. He may even get a crack at Sylvester before he has to fight Pirog and I think he can definitely win that.”



    Moore admits his war with Macklin was one of the toughest fights of his 36 fight career but that hasn’t stopped him eyeing up a possible rematch.



    “Mat and I have spoken about it before and both agreed if the money was right we'd do it again. I'm moving up to middleweight now so the fight with Mat would be easy to make. I think it would be one the fans would relish. I absolutely loved fighting in Ireland, Tommy Egan really looked after us all, and if I got the chance (to fight there again) again I’d jump at it. Maybe the Macklin rematch?”
     
  5. AffectedToaster

    AffectedToaster Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Feb 28, 2009
    does anyone know how ticket sales are doing for the Macklin card, i hope its doing well
     
  6. Jonny The Hips

    Jonny The Hips Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Jul 22, 2009
    has anyone the price list- fair play to Peters he has gotten some coverage
     
  7. slapbangwhallop

    slapbangwhallop The Sweet Scientist Full Member

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    Oct 13, 2007
    He isnt a ticket seller over here. I was luck enough to be ringside for his fight against Asikinen and the Veldorome was virtually empty.

    Outside of trade websites the fight is getting no coverage over here.
     
  8. nutter

    nutter Well-Known Member Full Member

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    May 26, 2008
    Anyone got the results from Cork???????:thumbsup
     
  9. 021mac

    021mac New Member Full Member

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    Jun 14, 2008
    spike won via decision 98-94
    e hyland won via decision 60-54
    tims won by tko rd2
    i thought it was a **** show tbh and left feeling really disapointed ,spike is a nice lad but fook me is he goin to get found out soon , there was **** all atmosphere there and imo it was a bad fight everything spike did was predictable there was no guile to him at all all i kept thinking was him with garcia he'd get murdered the poor lad,
     
  10. puca

    puca Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Nov 11, 2006

    Its up on boxrec unfortunately,
     
  11. slapbangwhallop

    slapbangwhallop The Sweet Scientist Full Member

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    Oct 13, 2007
    Despite the bad news, thanks for the report hombre. Dissapointed that Spike didnt manage to stop the bould ciaran.
     
  12. slapbangwhallop

    slapbangwhallop The Sweet Scientist Full Member

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    Oct 13, 2007
    it aint brother!
     
  13. Podge

    Podge Member Full Member

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    Apr 20, 2008
    I'll be doing a report for Cormac later on, Sligo.

    Not a great performance by Spike, unfortunately. I have to disagree with 021mac though, I enjoyed the fight immensely - it was really competitive all the way to the final bell.

    021mac is 100% on the money though when it comes to the action - Spike looked bereft of ideas when the body shots had no effect. He's no middleweight, that's for sure - I think we may have severely overestimated his power 'cos he sure hasn't brought it up with the extra seven pounds. He needs to base himself in America or the UK for a while if he really means business, get some quality sparring and experience. Likes home comforts too much.

    I liked the look of Paddy McDonagh - he has a bit of spite in his hands and some speed too. Ian Tims was terrible in the first round and looked a million dollars in the second when he got a bit of confidence, while Eddie Hyland is never in a bad fight.

    Good night all round. Well done Paschal Collins - another fella who put his money on the line to bring us professional boxing locally.
     
  14. gasman

    gasman Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    May 16, 2009
    I am looking forward to your article Podge. Paddy McDonagh looked very good on his debut - he came through against a very tough opponent and he fought like it was anything other than his pro debut - game as a pheasant and tough as boots.
     
  15. Podge

    Podge Member Full Member

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    Apr 20, 2008
    Gasman, I might have to steal that description off you and put it in the vault, ha ha!!!

    Paddy's like a Mexican in the way he fights. Sharp hands, always looking to find an opening, willing to try combos, excellent condition considering he took it at less than two days notice (and as a super-mid he fought a light-heavy). Lots of national titles - Gary Hyde was visibly delighted at ringside with him.