Irish Boxing

The Irish Elite squad recorded a comfortable 9-3 victory over the China Elite team at a sold out Brandon Hotel in New Ross, Wexford tonight.

World Senior and Youth champions and Irish Elite champions Katie Taylor and Joe Ward both had their hands raised in triumph.

Irish Elite champions Michael Conlon, Michael McDonagh, Katie Rowland, Sinead Kavanagh, John Joe Nevin and Darren O'Neill and Patrick Corcoran also helped Ireland to an impressive win.


Taylor, boxing for the second time in 24 hours -she beat Spain's Maria del Carman Moreno at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin last night - beat Cheng Dong 6-2 in a repeat of the 2008 and 2010 AIBA World lightweight finals which the Bray woman won in China and Barbados.

Ward, the current AIBA World Youth champion, forced Fanlong Meng into a standing count in the third en route to a 9-2 victory.

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Michael McDonagh (red) in action
Belfast flyweight Conlon ensured that Ireland hit the ground running with an impressive 15-4 verdict over Yong Chang in the opening bout of the evening.

And McDonagh followed that up with a 2-0 win over Qiang Lio, followed by victory for European Youth silver medalist Katie Rowland.

China, who finished in number one spot in the medals table at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, pulled one back after Drimnagh super-heavyweight Sean Turner - who produced one of the performances of the evening - was edged out on a double countback by 2008 Olympic silver medalist Zhilei Zaifula.

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2008 Olympic final - Zhilei Zaifula v Roberto Cammerelle (Cammerelle won)Zaifula edged out Sean Turner on a double countback tonight
However, Cavan bantamweight John Joe Nevin got Ireland back to winning ways with a classy 7-1 win over Hongliang Zhang.

European silver medalist Darren O'Neill had three points to spare over Jianting Zhang in the middleweight class. That victory opened up an unassailable 7-1 lead for the hosts.

Niall Murray, a late replacement for Elite champ Ross Hickey, and Karl Brabazon both lost out to Richabilige Hu and Qiong Maimaitituersun in the light-welterweight and welterweight categories.

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Darren O'Neill (blue) in action at the European Championships
Galway heavyweight Patrick Corcoran sealed an impressive win for the hosts with a 7-4 decision over Maimaiti Zaifula in the final bout of the evening.

Both nations will meet again at the Dungarvan Sports Centre on Wednesday night and at the National Stadium in Dublin next Friday.


Ireland v China Brandon Hotel New Ross, Wexford March 20th



52Kg: Michael Conlon (St John Bosco) beat Yong Chang (China) 15-4
60Kg: Michael McDonagh (St Mary's) beat Qiang Luo (China) 2-0
81Kg: Joe Ward (Moate) beat Fanlong Meng (China) 9-2
51Kg: Katie Rowland (Geesala) beat Yujie Luo (China) 3-1
91Kg+:Sean Turner (Drimnagh) lost to Zhilei Zaifula (China) 5-5, c/b 10-10, 1-4
56Kg: John Joe Nevin (Cavan) beat Hongliang Zhang (China) 7-1
75Kg: Sinead Kavanagh (Drimnagh) beat Dongmel Wang (China) 5-2
69Kg: Karl Brabazon (St Saviours) lost to Qiong Maimaitituersun (China) 3-10

64Kg: Niall Murray (Gorey) lost to Richabilige Hu (China) 3-6
75Kg: Darren O'Neill (Paulstown) beat Jianting Zhang (China) 5-2










60Kg: Katie Taylor (Bray) beat Cheng Dong (China) 6-2
91Kg: Patrick Corcoran (Olympic) beat Maimaiti Zaifula (China) 7-4

 

IRELAND V CHINA - DUBLIN
Bernard O'Neill (IABA Public Relations Officer)

2008 Olympic final - Ken Egan v Xiaoping Zhang (China)Ken Egan will be action when Ireland face China for the third time in six days at the National Stadium in Dublin on Friday.

European bronze medalist Eric Donovan, 2007 European Union champion Roy Sheehan and Elite champion Cathal McMonagle will also be between the ropes

 

IRELAND V CHINA IN DUNGARVAN
Bernard O'Neill (IABA Public Relations Officer)

David Oliver Joyce and Dominico Valentino weigh-in before recent clash

European Union champion David Oliver Joyce will be in action when Ireland meet China for the second time in four days at the Dungarvan Sports Centre in Waterford tonight.

Both nations - who meet for a third and final time at the National Stadium in Dublin on Friday - clashed in New Ross, Wexford on Sunday night and Ireland recorded a 9-3 win.

David Oliver Joyce, who has won 16 Irish titles all the way up to Elite, faces Qiang Luo this evening. The St Michael's Athy man has the distinction of beating AIBA World champion Dominico Valentino two times in the last twelve months.


Ceire Smith (red) will be in action tonightJoyce beat Valentino in an Ireland versus Italy international in Belfast last year and followed that up with another win over the Italian when his Istanbul side beat Milan in the World Series of Boxing earlier this month.

World and European champion Katie Taylor and Cheng Dong will meet again tonight just a few days after Taylor beat the Chinese lightweight 6-2 in Wexford in a repeat of the 2010 and 2008 AIBA World finals in Bridgetown, Barbados and Ningbo City, China.

Jason Quigley, a gold medal winner at the 2009 European Youth Championships, will also be between the ropes this evening along with Tyrone McCullagh, a bronze medal winner at the 2010 European Championships.

Elite super-heavyweight and welterweight champions Cathal McMonagle and Adam Nolan will also be in action on Suirside along with Davey Joe Joyce, Chris Phelan, Ceire Smith and Sinead Kavanagh.


2009 European Youth champion Jason Quigley (blue)European Union heavyweight champion Con Sheehan and former Elite champion Philip Sutcliffe are both out of tonight's international after picking up ankle and hand injuries.

The duo have been replaced by John Sweeney and Craig McCarthy.

Tonight's international will be decided over 12 bouts. Boxing begins at 7.30pm.

Ireland and China will meet for a third and final time at the National Stadium in Dublin on Friday.

Ken Egan will line out for Ireland on the night versus Fanlong Meng. Please see above attachment for details.





Ireland v China Dungarvan Sports Centre Waterford March 23rd (7.30pm)


52Kg: Chris Phelan (Ryston) v Yong Chang (China)
51Kg: Ceire Smith (Cavan) v Yujie Luo (China)
56Kg: Tyrone McCullagh (Holy Family GG) v Hongliang Zhang (China)
60Kg: Katie Taylor (Bray) v Cheng Dong (China)
60Kg: David Oliver Joyce (St Michael's Athy) v Qiang Luo (China)
64Kg: Craig McCarthy (St Paul's) v Richabilige Hu (China)
69Kg: Adam Nolan (Bray) v Qiong Maimaitituersun (China)
75Kg: Jason Quigley (Finn Valley) v Jianting Zhang (China)
75Kg: Sinead Kavanagh (Drimnagh) vDongmel Wang (China)
81Kg: David Joe Joyce (St Michael's Athy) v Fanlong Meng (China)
91Kg: John Sweeney (Dungloe) v Maimaiti Zaifula (China)
91+Kg: Chris Devanney (Ballincarrow) v Zhilei Zaifula (China)

 

good man moorser:good

 

This month's boxing monthly insinuating Dudey may not last one round. I am clearly missing something!

 

atsch:good

 

You heading over Fra?

 

Introducing Mark Ginley
23 March 2011 - Steve Wellings Former Oliver Plunkett club man Mark Ginley has decided to ditch his head guard and vest and join the ever growing number of Belfast-based pugilists turning pro under Graham Earl’s fledgling promotional outfit. Ginley will make his first paid appearance on April 2 in the King’s Hall complex as part of the “Fists of Fury” show where a number of exciting prospects will showcase their skills to the Belfast faithful.
“I didn't box too well in the Commonwealth Games box-offs, because I was just back from a holiday in Mexico, and that was one of the main reasons I decided to turn pro,” Ginley explains. “I had a few fights after that one though and it was the result in a fight against Cyprus that really made my mind up for me. I boxed the head off the Cypriot guy and I was on the losing end of the decision. It was then that I got chatting to Graham Earl and things started rolling from there.”
Ginley wouldn’t be the first fighter to lose heart with the amateur game after losing a bout, in his eyes unfairly, on the points scoring system. He did however enjoy enough success in that code to persuade the 23-year-old that he had the talent to make it as a pro and, more importantly, gave former British champion Earl reason to add Mark to his burgeoning stable.
“I boxed for Ireland’s senior team against Russia and England, won a bronze medal in the UK CYP’s in 2006 and was Intermediate champion that year,” he continues. “I also won five Ulster gold medals, four Antrim gold medals and four Northern Ireland CYP golds during my time. I got a victory against the USA in June 2009 in New Jersey and later won a silver medal in Cyprus at the Limassol cup in October 2009. Other countries in the competition were England, Greece, Russia, Cyprus and then Northern Ireland.”
Ginley describes himself as an exciting fighter with a busy style who likes to keep it long and counter punch his opponents. The prospect is still awaiting confirmation of an opponent on debut night but is unphased by whoever Earl places in front of him. “It doesn't really matter who I fight because he only has two hands like me and I've trained too hard so far to lose this bout.”
Now based in Gleann BC, located off the Glen Road in west Belfast, two men with growing reputations will oversee Ginley’s progress. Former Immaculata boxer Gerard McManus will take on main coaching duties while Paul McIlroy will handle strength and conditioning.
“I have a great team around me and we all work very well together,” enthuses Mark. “We are working out of the Gleann boxing gym but I still call into my amateur gym, the Oliver Plunkett, just to see all the lads and coaches. I get on very well with my former coaches Patsy McAllister and Jimmy McGrath; they will be there at the King’s Hall cheering me on. Tommy McCarthy and Tyrone McKenna [former Plunkett gym mates] are good friends outside boxing and I still see them all the time.”
Working with Graham Earl is already starting to benefit Ginley as he looks to make a smooth transition from amateur achiever to professional hopeful. Some good intense sparring, which currently sees him enjoying a spell of training in London, will help ready the Belfast native for his big hometown debut.
“The camp in London is going brilliantly,” he confirms, “and I’m getting plenty of rounds done. I will hopefully get to spar a few rounds with Graham before the training is finished. I have been sparring Mark Morris and Eddie Nesbitt who are both preparing for their professional debuts and train in the same gym as me. I've sparred Commonwealth gold medallist Paddy Gallagher and Paul Hyland and James Fryers from the Immaculata club.
“My brother ‘Sugar’ Ray Ginley is over in London too for some sparring. Ray boxes with Gleann now; he's won Antrim and Ulster Intermediates and was crowned Ulster senior champion. He's a very good kid and when we train together it’s great because we push each other even harder.”
Mark competed in the 64kg weight class as an amateur but was naturally light for the weight, having found 60kg a struggle. Oliver Plunkett coach Patsy McAllister was also understandably keen to keep Ginley away from another of his prized assets, Tyrone McKenna. Mark is eyeing the lightweight 9st 9lb limit when he begins punching for pay on April 2. Another promising career will begin at the famous King’s Hall (in the adjoining Nugent Hall) that has held fights involving so many great champions of yesteryear. Ginley will star alongside the next batch of eager boxers, aiming to become the Belfast boxing heroes of tomorrow.
“My career aspirations are to become the best I possibly can be - I didn't turn pro to make up the numbers,” he declares. “My eyes are set on a British title just because from boxing as a novice amateur, I always viewed the Lonsdale belt as a big deal. That's the one I want to win and then I can move on to bigger things, but at the minute my sole focus is on my debut and getting that important first win.”

 

Introducing Joe Hillerby
23 March 2011 - Steve Wellings Sandy Row slugger Joe Hillerby is reckoning on a glorious homecoming when the Belfast middleweight features on Graham Earl’s April 2 King’s Hall show. Some of the local fighters are making their professional debuts on the fight-heavy card dubbed as “Fists of Fury” but Hillerby has punched for pay twice already. Joe followed up a first round debut knockout of Luton’s Gavin Putney with a four round points success over Lincoln warhorse Ryan Clark. Both wins were registered over in England but next stop will be Belfast for the 23-year-old.
“With two wins on the trot already, April 2 will see win number three for me, all being well,” Hillerby told Irish-boxing.com. “Fighting in Belfast at the King’s Hall in front of my fans will make it an even greater experience.”
Joe’s opponent on the night will be Lancaster’s Ian Jackson, who has lost his only two professional contests thus far, including his debut in a single round. He did recently go the four round distance in his last bout, against Danny Brown, so knows how to hang in there. However, you would expect a rising prospect like Hillerby to deal with him fairly comfortably.
“It is going to be exciting because I have an explosive style,” said Joe. “I like to work behind my jab, with bursts to the body and head; always on my toes and ready for what comes back at me. I don’t think the current point scoring system in the amateurs suited my style and believe the pros are more for me. Most of the time now in the amateur game the fighter doing all the punching gets defeated because the opponent just covers up and steals points.
“When Graham Earl handed me the chance to turn professional and told me of his plans, especially that I would get the chance to fight both here [in Northern Ireland] and across the water, I viewed it as a great opportunity. It is good to see boxing in Northern Ireland starting to blossom again and I enjoy my training in the Sandy Row gym as the trainer [Ian McSorley] knows how to get the best out of me. Over the last year I have sparred Neil Sinclair, Willie Thompson, David Rosbotham, Manny Oshunrinde and Ian Boyd.”
The latter three are all set to feature on the show. Rosbotham is making his pro debut while Boyd and Oshunrinde have enjoyed mixed fortunes so far as professionals. Manny was a reasonably touted prospect when he turned over, but was stopped in three rounds by another familiar face to Irish boxing fans in Saintfield’s Brian Cusack.
The aforementioned wins over Putney and Clark helped Hillerby feel his way into the pro ranks. Joe explains each bout from his own perspective.
“In the first fight against Putney I went out to stick to my boxing, stay calm and work behind the jab but after a few jabs I let a right hand go which stunned him and I knew I was going to put him away. I picked up the pace and Putney wasn’t throwing shots back, so the fight was stopped.
“Fighting against Ryan Clark in the York Hall was a great experience for me as the York Hall is the pinnacle of boxing and every great fighter to come out of Britain has fought there. I felt a bit nervous at first but I was in good shape and all the nerves left as soon as I got into the ring. In the first round of the fight I overwhelmed him with a really fast start, working in bursts and winning that round easily. When I went back to the corner my trainer told me to work on my boxing for the next three rounds so I just stayed behind the jab and out boxed him. I was ‘over the moon’ winning every round. Overall I’m happy with my progression in the pro ranks so far and I’m just going to keep up the hard work from here.”
The man nicknamed ‘The Faith’ cites Arturo Gatti, Nigel Benn and Joe Calzaghe as three of his boxing idols, as all three showed great deals of heart and determination throughout their respective careers. Joe also tells of how he first caught the boxing bug: “The Sandy Row gym opened and my Dad said to me I should go up and try it and from that point I just kept at it. When I’m not boxing I like to go for a game of pool, watch the football or chill with my mates. I enjoy getting a break.”
He was no slouch in the amateur game either: “In the amateurs I won many titles, including the Antrim, Ulster, Boys’ clubs, Irish, Four nations and a multi-nation tournament. I was a finalist in the UK school boys representing Northern Ireland and also have represented Ireland and my county.
“I am enjoying the training that Graham has us involved in, because we go over to Luton for training camps before fights and enjoy intense workouts. Maybe I can fight for an Irish title or Celtic title by the end of the year. I believe that would be a good base to build on and get up the rankings.”
The next objective is to impress the fans on April 2 and pave the way for more exciting nights in some of Belfast’s famous old boxing venues.
“I can’t wait to finally box in Belfast. It’s a long hard road in boxing and I am just going to keep my head down and keep working as hard as I can - hopefully then I will get my rewards.”

 

That Bar 38 looks like a cracking venue Slappy. :deal Top man :good

 

yep... going on da ferry... and bunking down on a m8 floor... the settee taken.... up 4 a big nite:bbb:good

 

Luck you've no hope of getting your hole anyway Fra or you'd have nowhere to go :good

 

It is def not willies wife,I have met her she is a very nice lady that IMO would never show disrespect to any fighter ,it may be a sister or cousin but is not his wife.[/quote]
my mistake looked alot like the woman though

 

well u cant rule out a knee trembler:hey:good

 

Fra if u do get a woman, are ya gonna make that smiley face and give her a thumbs up afterwards