Light-welters in motion – Dean Walsh (red) v Benaldo Marime
Defending lightweight and light-welterweight champions Sean McComb and Dean Walsh advanced on Day 1 of the Men’s National Elite Championships at Dublin’s National Stadium.
Three-time European Union Elite gold medallist David Oliver Joyce also made a winning return to the home of Irish boxing, along with former European Elite and World Youth champion Ray Moylette.
McComb, a bronze medal winner at this year’s European Games, and Walsh, a bronze medallist at this year’s European Championships, beat Tiernan Bradley and Benaldo Marime.
Joyce edged ex European Youth champion Gary Cully on a split decision in the contest of the night. The rangy Cully shaded the first round, but Joyce came storming back to take the final two frames of a cracking three-rounder.
Hughie Joyce forced Anthony O’Rawe into a standing county in the third and will now meet his elder brother, David Oliver, who is signed with AIBA Pro Boxing (APB), in the semi-finals.
David Oliver Joyce (blue) met Gary Cully (red) in the contest of the night
“He’s (Hughie) my younger brother. He’s raring to go after that win. I’m delighted with my victory. It was a very close in the first round,I drove on after that,” said David Oliver, a multiple Elite champion who, because of APB fights, was appearing at the National Stadium for the first time in almost two years tonight.
George Bates, James Cleary, Wayne Kelly, Michael Bustard and Caoimhin Hynes also had their hand raised in victory this evening.
The Elite Championships resume next Friday night with the Elite women’s finals. Olympic champion Katie Taylor and Shauna O’Keeffe will go head-to-head for the vacant lightweight belt.
The men’s tournament resumes next Saturday.
National Elite Championships
Men
November 21st
Q/Finals (7pm)
60kg David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy) beat Gary Cully (St Davids) 2-1
60kg Hughie Joyce (St Michael’s Athy) beat Anthony O’Rawe (Braid) 3-0
60kg George Bates (St Marys) beat Gary McKenna (Old School) 3-0
60kg Sean McComb (Holy Trinity) beat Tiernan Bradley (Sacred Heart) 3-0
64kg Dean Walsh (St Ibars) beat Benaldo Marime (Holy Trinity) 3-0
64kg James Cleary (Olympic) beat Keith Flavin (Paulstown) 2-1
64kg Wayne Kelly (Ballynacargy) beat Gerard Matthews (St Pauls) 3-0
64kg Ray Moylette (St Annes) beat Patrick Lenihan (St Marys) 3-0
69kg Michael Bustard (Monkstown) beat Fergal Redmond (Arklow) TKOI3
69kg Caoimhin Hynes (Holy Trinity) beat Conor Doherty (Holy Trinity) 3-0
Women
November 20th
S/Finals (7.30pm)
48kg Donna Barr (Twin Towns) beat Alexandra Kornaga (Carrickmacross) 3-0
54kg Elaine Harrison (Ardnaree) beat Jade Corcoran (Crumlin) 3-0
60kg Shauna O’Keeffe (Clonmel) beat Kayleigh Murrihy-McCormack (Kilfenora) 3-0
64kg Cheyanne O’Neill (Athlone) beat Shanice Just (Arklow) 3-0
69kg Grainne Walsh (Sparticus) W/O
November 27th
Finals (7.30pm)
48kg Lauren Hogan (St Brigids Edenderry) V Donna Barr (Twin Towns)
51kg Michaela Walsh (Holy Family GG) V Ceire Smith (Cavan)
54kg Dervla Duffy (St Brigids Kildare) V Elaine Harrison (Ardnaree)
57kg Joanne Lambe (Carrickmacross) V Moira McElligott)
60kg Katie Taylor (Bray) V Shauna O’Keeffe (Clonmel)
64kg Kelly Harrington (Glasnevin) V Cheyanne O’Neill (Athlone)
69kg Clare Grace (Callan) V Grainne Walsh (Sparticus)
75kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgans) W/O
81+kg Diana Cambell (Garda) V Maeve McCarron (Carrigart)