Plenty of water has passed under the Wolfe Tone and Thomond bridges since Galway’s Kieran Molloy and Limerick’s Paddy Donovan claimed AIBA World Junior bronze and silver for Ireland behind the former Iron Curtain in 2013 and 2015.

Both men meet in an all-southpaw welterweight battle on Elite finals night at the National Stadium on Saturday, with Molloy of the Oughterard BC putting the 69kg title he won for the first time last year on the line against the Treaty City lefty.

Molloy had to settle for lightweight bronze at the World Juniors in Ukraine six years ago after he suffered a freak leg injury versus Moldova’s Vladislav Tugui in the first round and had to be lifted out of the ring in Kiev.

Two years later, Donovan went all the way to the 60kg final in Russia but lost to Turkey’s Tugrulhan Erdemir after a tight three-rounder in St Petersburg.

The Connacht and Munster pair doubled up at welter in last March’s three-match tour of the USA where both Irishmen, with Irish head coach Zaur Antia in the corner, convincingly beat World No. 8 ranked Quinton Randall who had ex Irish head coach Billy Walsh working his corner.

Molloy decisioned Dublin’s Luke Maguire in the semi-finals last weekend and is anticipating a cracking three-rounder against the Our Lady of Lourdes BC man.

“It was great to get it over and done with now and focus on the final. I’m very confident of getting the job done again and retaining my title next weekend, he said.

“The final will be another fight for me, another platform working toward the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. I don’t feel any pressure and I’m confident in my own ability. He’s (Donovan) a good boxer and it should be a cracking final.”

Donovan beat Antrim’s 2018 Commonwealth finalist Aidan Walsh in the last four and believes his meeting with Molloy will go all the way down to the final bell.

“It ’s going to be a great matchup (versus Molloy), southpaw versus southpaw,” said Donovan.

“It’s my best (Walsh bout) in the tournament so far performance wise. I’ve lots to work on but can’t complain, it’s a big win for me.

“I had a tough side of the draw with Dean Walsh, Aidan Walsh and Eugene McKeever. I’m so grateful that I’ve come through a very tough side of the best weight class.”

Meanwhile, Jelena Jelic is due to arrive in Dublin tomorrow ahead of her international bout with World Elite champion Kellie Harrington on Elite finals night.

The Serb has shared the ring with some of the best on the planet, including Katie Katie, and is not overawed about meeting the St Mary’s BC (Dublin) AIBA World No.1 lightweight.

“I have fought the best in the world several times and I am more than ready for it again,” said the 23-year-old who boxes out of the Novi Sad BC in Serbia.

(Jelic was beaten by Taylor on a Kanturk BC hosted show at the Mallow GAA Club in 2016)

Saturday’s finals will be televised on TG4

The Dublin Co. Board and Yorkshire ABA continued their strong relationship when both had very strong Schoolboy teams match off against other at a packed out Ringside Club at the National Stadium Dublin on Saturday 19th January.

This is turning into a yearly tradition with the sides meeting for the fifth year in a row.

After 21 high quality contests Dublin took the spoils 12-9 against a top class Yorkshire Schoolboys Team. Every single bout was well matched and very close – all the boxers aged 11 to 14 showed boxing skills well beyond their years. Both teams are a credit to the sport of Boxing.

The event was sponsored locally by www.smackwear.ie and www.fighterscorner.ie
Pat White from Smackwear supplied Tshirts for the whole Yorkshire Team. While Mike Mullen and Jimmy Upton from Fighters Corner Finglas continued their support to the Dublin Co. Board and supplied the Dublin team with Tshirts and Medals for the event.

“We would sincerely like to thank the Yorkshire Boxing Board – and in particular Maria Maronitas, Stevie Smith and Phil Smith for making it all happen, they are proper boxing people and a pleasure to work with, said Dublin coach JP Kinsella.

“We look forward to the return in Yorkshire in October 2019.”

“Massive thanks goes to the members of the Dublin Co. Board for supporting our teams and of course our sponsors above.

Attached are full results with supporting bouts also.

Dublin Vs Yorkshire -January 2019 – JP 14th Jan 2019

Photos:

1. Yorkshire Team

2. Dublin boxer Christopher Ronan (Docklands BC)

3. Poster

4. Yorkshire Boxers shows off his gift Dublin T-Shirt

Please click here for details of live TG4 coverage of the National Elites finals.

The IABA is this year celebrating the 80th anniversary of the official opening of the National Stadium for the European Elite Championships in 1939.

The National Stadium hosted the last European Championships before WW2 in 1939 and the first European Championships after WW2 in 1947.

Naturally, Ireland’s boxers claimed three gold, one silver and a bronze at the 6th and 7th editions of the tournament.

Meanwhile,18 finals will be decided at the 2018 National Elite finals on Saturday night.

World Elite lightweight champion Kellie Harrington meets Serbia’s Jelena Jelic in an international bout.

“It’s (also) great because now I’m getting an international fight,” said Harrington ahead of her first outing since claiming an historic World Elite gold in New Delhi last November.

Harrington’s St Mary’s BC (Dublin) team mate George Bates is also in action on Saturday versus Antrim’s James McGivern.

 

 

 

 

Tipperary’s Dean Gardiner and Limerick’s Martin Keenan renew acquaintances in an eagerly anticipated Munster derby on Saturday night.

The Clonmeal BC and Rathkeale BC pair clash in the super heavy decider at the National Elites at the Stadium in a repeat of the 2017 box-off which Gardiner won at the same venue.

Saturday’s finals will be broadcast by TG4.

Both men advanced from their semi-finals on unanimous decisions over Thomas Carthy and Gydis Linskyas last weekend.

Gardiner, who has boxed in the World and European Championships and the World Series of Boxing, is a highly experienced Irish international.

In fact, with the exception of World Elite titlist Kellie Harrington who meets Serbia’s Jelen Jelic in – by IABA – an international bout on the Elite finals card, Gardiner will be the longest serving Irish international between the ropes this weekend.

Keenan has also impressed on the international circuit. The Rathkeale BC stand out claimed an Elite belt in 2017 but was beaten by Gardiner in a box off that year.

The last time that Gardiner, who came within one win of qualifying for Rio 2016, lost at the National Elites was to his own Clonmel BC team-mate Con Sheehan, who has since turned pro, in the 2014 Elite final.

The defending champion will be aiming for his fourth crown at IABA HQ and is ready to roll, according to Clonmel BC coach Martin Fennessey.

”The last time he was beaten in the Elites was by Con five years ago. We know what we are up against and we give a lot of respect to Martin because he’s a champion himself.

“Dean’s pace, physical fitness and boxing are phenomenal at the moment. I think he’s now at the peak of his career and he’s very much looking forward to Saturday night.”

Meanwhile, in an iaba.ie “exclusive”, Antrim’s James McGivern has vowed that he’ll wear those dazzling boots again on finals night!

McGivern wore fluorescent yellow footwear borrowed from his younger brother Jack, one of Ulster’s finest young prospects, in the semi-finals.

“I will (wear the boots) indeed. I haven’t got my own pair,” laughed the Commonwealth Games medallist and Commonwealth Youth champion. “I’m feeling strong in training.”

McGivern is in against George Bates for the light-welter (63kg) title. Bates claimed the lightweight (60kg) belt but last year but that weight has been dumped by the AIBA in a reshuffle of men’s Olympic limits.

”I had to move to light welterweight which is 63kg but the transition has been quite easy. I’m feeling good and quite strong at the weight,” said Bates, a teammate of World No. 1 Harrington at the St Mary’s BC in Dublin.

 

Regan Buckley and Sean Mari are refusing to be disheartened by the abolition of light-flyweight as an Olympic limit.

Wicklow light fly Buckley, who has returned to Elite boxing from the pro ranks, meets Dublin-native Mari for the vacant 49kg belt on the Liffey Crane Elite finals night at the National Stadium on Saturday.

The International Boxing Association (AIBA) have dumped light fly and light for men for Tokyo 2020 and reduced men’s limits from ten to eight for the 32nd Olympiad.

Males will compete at 52kg, 57kg, 63kg, 69kg, 75kg, 81kg, 91kg and 91kg+ in Tokyo where Belfast’s Jim McCourt won bronze at the 1964 Games.

Welter and feather have been added to fly, light and middle as the new Olympic weights for women.

Belfast’s Paddy Barnes claimed two of Ireland’s 16 Olympic boxing medals at light-fly at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 where the limit was expanded from 48kg to 49kg.

”The 49kg being scrapped from the Olympics initially was a big shock for me but I wouldn’t let it dishearten me, said Buckley of the St Teresas BC.

“I have set target goals for myself to reach, the Elites being a big goal for me since I was a kid. Please, God, I come away with the title on the weekend, I will then set bigger goals for myself going forward.”

The Bray orthodox would have welcomed an outing ahead of his showdown with Mari who impressed en route to a unanimous decision over Rory Baird last weekend.

“I received a bye into the final as there was only three of us in the weight. I would have loved a semi-final to get to fight in the competition rather than just the one but I won the U/22 finals just a couple of weeks ago so I’m very sharp from that.

“I feel physically very strong at the 49kg and I’m in the best shape of my life.”

Mari, who boxes out of the Monkstown BC, agrees with Buckley and admitted he was initially very frustrated when the AIBA cut the lightest of the men’s weights adrift.

However, the 18-year-old has time on his side and is looking toward the Paris 2024 Games, a century after Ireland entered the Olympics independently for the first time in Paris in 1924.

“My view at the moment about 49kg no longer being an Olympic weight is it is very frustrating and at first I was very annoyed when the news first broke, said Mari.

“But as I sat back and had a think about it, I am still very young and have lots and lots of time and experience to gain before the following Olympics in Paris in 2024.

“That, ultimately, is my goal in amateur boxing. Until then, I will keep working hard, pushing myself, gaining experience and hopefully winning Championships.”

The Dubliner believes it’s an honour to step into the ring on Elite finals night.

“I am very much looking forward to Saturday’s final, preparations are going really well.A lot of really hard sessions have been put in over the last few months for these Elites and it’s an honour to get to the final first time of asking, he added.

“I’m excited as I have nothing to lose and I’m just concentrating on my performance more than anything else. Once I perform in the ring I will be happy.Taking home that trophy would mean so much to me so I am excited for the big night.”

 

Meanwhile, two-time Commonwealth finalist Michaela Walsh will be aiming for her eight belt in three different weights – 51kg, 54kg and 57kg – in the feather (57kg) dust up against former champion Dervla Duffy in a repeat of the 2018 decider which Walsh won.

Grainne Walsh, the defending welter champion, meets Macroom southpaw Christina Desmond, who hammered Dutch Rio 2016 finalist Nouchka Fontijn in 2016, in the welterweight final.

Walsh, a European Union Elite medalist, reached the last 16 at the 10th World Women’s Elite Championships in New Delhi last November.

Saturday’s finals will be broadcast live by TG4.

 

Images: Regan Buckley, Sean Mari, James McGivern and Michaela Walsh.