IRVINE WAITES ON TJ AT ELITE CHAMPIONSHIPS

IABA News
TJ Waite celebrates victory in the 2015 Elite semi-final

TJ Waite celebrates victory at the 2015 Elite Championships.

TJ WAITE believes that Friday’s Elite semi-final with Brendan Irvine could be another game of chess.

The Ormeau Road BC flyweight meets the Rio Olympian, the defending champion, in the last-four in a repeat of the 2015 final which Irvine won.

Irvine, a European Games silver medallist, actually won two Elite titles – the IABA ran the Championships twice in 2015 to facilitate Ireland’s boxers going into the Rio 2016 qualifiers – at two different weights the year before last.

He’s currently ranked No. 9 in the world by AIBA at light-fly, but has moved up to fly.

“It (2015 final) was a very close fight, more like a chess match. There weren’t very many punches landed either way, all the rounds were very cagey. I was trying to counter, he was trying to counter,” Waite told The Irish News.

“If anyone ever saw me train or spar, I was giving all the good fighters all they wanted and more. Even guys who were champions at the weight above. I’ve never been afraid to fight anybody. You haven’t seen the best of me yet.”

Brendan Irvine (red) in action

Brendan Irvine (red) in action

Waite,22, actually met Irvine in the ring when he was 11-years-old.

“I was a lot bigger than him then but he’s a bit bigger than me now,” laughed the 2015 Elite finalist.

“Maybe he developed or matured a wee bit quicker than me. He has plenty of experience, he qualified for Rio and did a lot of good things at youth level that I didn’t do, but at senior level it’s different.”

Waite predicts that Friday’s rematch won’t be much different than the 2015 clash  – and admitted he had a wry laugh at the bookies last time out.

He added: “I’ll try to land more strikes myself instead of him landing more.

“It’ll not be much different, we both know each other, we’ve spent the year together in Dublin sparring and training together. I know what he brings, he knows what I bring so it’s going to be a good fight no matter what.

“I was the second worst odds (2015 Championships) in the competition, I thought it was a bit funny at the time. You’d have thought I didn’t have a chance in hell, so hopefully, I can change that and at least get a wee bit of recognition.”

 

Admission Prices

February 10th/11th – Adults: €20 and €5 for children (U/14)

Finals: Friday, February 17th

Ringside: €40

Angles: €30

Gallery: €25

Gallery: €10 for children (U/14)

 

National Elite Championships National Stadium Dublin

February 10th

S/Finals (7pm)

48kg Carol Coughlan (Monkstown D) V Kristina O’Hara (St John Bosco A)
49kg Blaine Dobbins (St Josephs Derry) V Connor Jordan (St Aidans)
52kg Brendan Irvine (St Pauls Antrim) V TJ Waite (Ormeau Road)
57kg Dervla Duffy (Mulhuddart) V Tiegan Russell (Fr Horgans)
57kg Amanda Coughlan (Paulstown) V Moira McElligot (St Michaels Athy)
56kg Kurt Walker (Canal) V Evan Metcalfe (Crumlin)
60kg George Bates (St Marys Dublin) V Gary McKenna (Old School)
64kg Sidhbh Greene (St Brigids Eden) V Emma Agnew (Delagan)
64kg Sean McComb (Holy Trinity) V Patrick Linehan (St Marys Dublin)
69kg Dean Walsh (St Ibars) V Tiernan Bradley (Sacred Heart O)
75kg Emmett Brennan (Glasnevin) V Fearghus Quinn (Camlough)
81kg Joe Ward (Moate) V Michael Frayne (St Marys)
91kg Darren O’Neill (Paulstown) V John Joe McDonagh (Crumlin)
91+kg Damien Sullivan (Emerald Antrim) V Martin Keenan (Rathkeale)

February 11th

S/Finals (7pm)

52kg Thomas McCarthy (Mayfield) V Adam Courtney (St Marys Dublin)
56kg Myles Casey (St Francis)  V Stephen McKenna (Old School)
60kg Shauna O’Keeffe (Clonmel) V Amy Broadhurst (Delgean)
60kg Gerard Matthews (St Pauls Antrim) V Patrick Mongan (Olympic)
64kg Cheyanne O’Neill (Ahtlone) V Ciara Ginty (Geesala)
64kg Benaldo Marime (Holy Trinity) V Wayne Kelly (Ballynacargy)
69kg Tina Donnelly (Corinthians) V Grainne Walsh (Spartacus)
69kg Peter Carr (Crumlin) V Brett McGinty (Oakleaf)
75kg Stephen Broadhurst (Delagan) V Caoimhin Hynes (Holy Trinity)
81kg Anthony Browne (St Michaels Dub) V Sean Allen (Arlow)
91kg Cormac Long (Rathkeale) V Kenneth Okungbowa (Athlone)
91+kg Bernard O’Reilly (Portlaoise) v Thomas Carty (Glasnevin)

 

February 17th

Finals (7:30pm)

48kg Shannon Sweeney (St Annes) V Winner
49kg Darryl Moran (Illies GG) V Winner
51kg Carly McNaul (Ormeau Road) W/O
52kg Winner V Winner
54kg Terry Mullarney (Ballyhaunis) W/O
57kg Winner V Winner~
56kg Winner V Winner
60kg Kelly Harrington (Glasnevin) V Winner
60kg Winner V Winner
64kg Winner V Winne
64kg Winner V Winner
69kg Gillian Duffy (Bray) V Winner
69kg Winner V Winner
75kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgans) W/O
75kg Winner V Winner
81kg Caroline Connolly (Mourne GG) V Leona Houlihan (Crumlin)
81kg Winner V Winner
81+kg Maeve McCarron (Carrigart) W/O
91kg Winner V Winner
91+kg Winner V Winner

 

February 4th

Q/Finals

60kg Gary McKenna (Old School) beat Alan O’Connor (Bawnogue) 5-0
64kg Patrick Linehan (St Marys Dublin) beat Colm Quinn (Castlebar) 4-1
69kg Dean Walsh (St Ibars) beat Mark McCole (Dungloe) 5-0
69kg Tiernan Bradley (Sacred Heart O) beat  Gerard French (Clonard U) 4-1
69kg Peter Carr (Crumlin) beat Nathan Watson (Saints) 5-0
69kg Brett McGinty (Oakleaf) beat Ross Boyle (Mourne GG) 3-2
91+kg Martin Keenan (Rathkeale) beat Patrick Nevin (St Michaels Dublin) 5-0
91+kg Bernard O’Reilly (Portlaoise) beat James Clarke (Kilnamanagh) 5-0
91+kg Thomas Carty (Glasnevin) beat John McDonnell (Crumlin) 4-1

Q/Finals: February 3rd

52kg TJ Waite (Ormeau Road) beat Tommy Casey (St Francis) 5-0
56kg Evan Metcalfe (Crumlin) beat Frankie Cleary (Ballina) 5-0
56kg Myles Casey (St Francis) beat Eamon McNally (St Michaels Antrim) 5-0
69kg Mark McCole (Dungloe) beat Fergal Redmond (Arklow) 5-0
75kg Emmett Brennan (Glasnevin) beat John Joyce (St Michaels Athy) 5-0
75kg Fearghus Quinn (Camlough) beat Glory Carlos Lumuala (Maynooth) 5-0
75kg Stephen Broadhurst (Delagan) beat David Bicevas (St Saviours OBA) 5-0
75kg Caoimhin Hynes (Holy Trinity) beat Conor Doherty (Emerald Antrim) 5-0
81kg Michael Frayne (St Marys Dublin) beat  Robert Burke (Glasnevin) 5-0
81kg Anthony Browne (St Michaels Dub) beat  Sean Conroy (Ballina) 3-2
91kg John Joe McDonagh (Crumlin) beat Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield) 3-2
91kg Cormac Long (Rathkeale) beat Geoffrey Kavanagh (Glasnevin) 4-1