Aoife O’Rourke will box for a World Boxing Championship medal on Wednesday – having won her World Boxing Championship Last 16 bout in dominant, decisive style this evening.
The double Olympian and four-time continental champion, contesting at 75kg, forced two 2nd round standing count of her opponent, Monika Langerova of the Czech Republic. She won by 5-0, and the judges scored the bout: 30:27, 30:25, 30:25, 30: 25, 30: 26, 30: 25. Aoife will box her quarter final against Norway’s Sunniva Hofstad – a fellow Paris Olympian and the only boxer, male or female, this year to win gold at all World Boxing Cups. That bout takes place in Wednesday’s evening session.
Team Ireland’s Daina Moorehouse bowed-out of the World Boxing Championships on the narrowest of margins. She contested her Last 32 bout against fellow Paris Olympian, Laura Fuentes Fernandez of Spain. This was a tight, high-tempo bout and the 3-2 decision went to Spain. Judges scored the bout 28:29, 29:28, 29:28, 28:29, 29:28
Matthew McCole exits the World Boxing Championships on the narrowest of margins. This is the Donegal man’s first benchmark tournament, and he held his opponent Ronald Chavez Jr of the Philippines to a 3-2 split. Judges scored the bout 29: 28, 28:29, 28:29, 29: 28, 28:29
Not to be for Team Ireland’s Zara Breslin. The Waterford lightweight boxer took on Paris Olympian, Turkey’s Gizem Ozer, in her Last 32 contest. . Ozer is a European Games, Mediterranean Games and European U22 medalist. An excellent effort against an experienced campaigner: the 5-0 decision went to Ozer. Judges scored the bout
540 boxers from 66 federations are contesting these champions, the first in which men and women compete for World gold together. The competition is the biggest ever Olympic-style boxing event held in the UK, and includes 17 medalists from Paris 2024 and more than 30 boxers that competed at the most recent Olympic Games. It features action at 10 weight classes for men and women with 80 medals being handed out, including 20 golds
Detailed Day Four results are available here
Day Four
Four boxers are between the ropes at the M&S Arena, Liverpool, on Sunday – the afternoon session begins at 11am and the evening session gets underway at 6pm.
Double Olympian and multiple Commonweath Games medalist, 57kg Micheala Walsh, returns for her second bout of the tournament, following her sensational Last 32 first round stoppage win over Saudi Arabia. She contests her Last 16 bout against Shih-Yi Wu of Chinese Taipei. Wu was the 57kg bronze medalist at the Paris Olympic Games, and has medaled at the Asian Games and Asian Championships. The pair will meet in the second bout of Ring B’s Evening Session.
Patsy Joyce, one of the youngest members of the team, makes his debut at Last 16 stage, having received a bye. The Westmeath-based 2025 Irish Elite and U23 champion takes on Korea’s Jaeyong Shin in Bout 7 of Ring B’s Afternoon Session in the 55kg category
Paris Olympian Dean Clancy also makes his championship debut on Sunday, having received a bye to the Last 16. He meets Turkmenistan’s Ihlasbek Kochkarov in Bout 10 of Ring B’s Evening Session
And Aoife’s sister Lisa O’Rourke, a previous World champion and silver medalist, opens her account tomorrow. She takes on Colombia’s Shirleidis Orozco in Bout 6 of Ring A’s Evening Session Orozco is a previous PanAmerican welterweight champion.
Watch
World Boxing has partnered with Eurovision Sport to broadcast the Championship. Coverage, available HERE, begins at 11am on Thursday morning.
The championship website, where tickets are available for purchase, is HERE
Team Ireland
51kg Daina Moorehouse, of Enniskerry BC, Wicklow. Daina is from Bray, Co. Wicklow.
54kg Jenny Lehane of DCU Boxing Club, Dublin. Jenny is from Ashbourne, Co. Meath
57kg Michaela Walsh of Holy Family Golden Gloves BC Belfast.
60kg Zara Breslin of Tramore BC, Waterford.
65kg Grainne Walsh of St. Mary’s BC, Tallaght, Dublin. Grainne is from Tullamore, Co. Offaly
70kg Lisa O’Rourke of Castlerea BC, Co. Roscommon
75kg Aoife O’Rourke of Castlerea BC, Co. Roscommon. Team Co-Captain
50kg Louis Rooney of Star BC, Belfast
55kg Patsy Joyce of Olympic BC, Mullingar Co. Westmeath
60kg Adam Hession of Monivea BC, Co. Galway. Team Co-Captain
65kg Dean Clancy of Sean McDermott BC, Co. Leitrim. Dean is from Co. Sligo
70kg Matthew McCole of Illies Golden Glove BC Co. Donegal
75kg Gavin Rafferty of Dublin Docklands Boxing Club
80kg Kelyn Cassidy of Saviours Crystal BC, Co. Waterford
85kg Brian Kennedy of St. Brigid’s BC Edenderry Co. Offaly
90kg Jack Marley of Monkstown BC, Dublin
90+kg Martin McDonagh of Galway BC
Support Staff
- Team Manager: Jon Mackey, National Performance Director
- Head Coach: Zauri Antia
- Coaches: Damain Kennedy, Lynne McEnery, Eoin Pluck, James Doyle and JP Delaney
- Doctor: Jim Clover
- Lead Physio: Rob Tuomey
- Performance Analyst: Alan Swanton
- Logistics Support: Sean Crowley, High Performance Manager