Darren O’Neill (red) in action
Darren O’Neill will renew acquaintances with Russia’s Rio 2016 Olympic champion Evgeny Tischenko at Dublin’s National Stadium tomorrow evening.
Vladimir Nikitin, a bronze medallist at Rio 2016, is also in action for Russia versus Galway lightweight Patrick Mongan.
Nikitin, who was beaten in the Great Silk Way final in Baku on St Patrick’s Day last, has moved up from bantam to light since his eventful Olympic quarter-final with Michael Conlan last August.
O’Neill, meanwhile, has beaten Tischenko in the past, but the Russian heavyweight decisioned the Kilkenny southpaw at the 2015 Europeans to level the scoring at 1-1.
Ireland, France, Germany, Italy and Russia meet in a four-day bank holiday Round Robin at the home of Irish boxing.
All five nations are building toward June’s European Championships in the Ukraine.
George Bates faces French Rio 2016 silver medallist Sofiane Oumiha in the lightweight class tomorrow afternoon, but World Youth bronze medallist, Michael Nevin, is out of the tournament after picking up an illness.
Steven Donnelly, who claimed two victories at Rio 2016, is in against Russia’s Artem Zaitsev.
Meanwhile, Bernard Dunne, who was unveiled as the new IABA High-Performance Director today, will attend the weekend’s Round Robin featuring five of the powerhouse nations of world amateur boxing.
Friday’s boxing begins at 2pm. A second session begins at 5.30pm and runs straight through.
International Elite Round Robin National Stadium Dublin
April 28th
Ireland B v France (+ Italy and Russia) (2pm)
49kg Conor Jordan (Ireland) V Tamir Galanov (Russia)
75kg Christina Desmond (Ireland) V Assunta Canfora (Italy)
56kg Stephen McKenna (Ireland) V Jordan Rodriguez (France)
60kg George Bates (Ireland) V Sofiane Oumiha (France)
64kg Wayne Kelly (Ireland) V WahlidHambli (France)
69kg Steven Donnelly (Ireland) V Artem Zaitsev (Russia)
81kg Michael Frayne (Ireland) V Diabira Mamadou (France)
91kg Ken Okungbowa (Ireland) V Paul OmbaBiongolo (France)
91+kg Dean Gardiner (Ireland) V Djamili Dini Aboudou Moinze (France)
Germany v Italy (+ Ireland and Russia) (5.30pm)
49kg Salah Abrahim (Germany) V Federico Serra (Italy)
51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) V Roberta Mostarda (Italy)
56kg Dominik Hirsch (Germany) V Raffaele Di Serio (Italy)
60kg Artur Bril (Germany) V Francescco Iozia (Italy)
64kg Robert Harutyunyan (Germany) V Paolo Di Lernia (Italy)
69kg Christian Dezel (Germany) V Vincenzo Arecchia (Italy)
75kg Artur Beck (Germany) V Salvatore Cavallaro (Italy)
81kg Ibragim Bazuev (Germany) V Federico Antonaci (Italy)
91kg Nikolas Weizmann (Germany) V Simone Fiori (Italy)
91+kg Artem Suslenkov (Russia) V Guido Vianello (Italy)
Ireland A v Russia
49kg Blaine Dobbins (Ireland) V Vasili Egorov (Russia)
52kg Brendan Irvine (Ireland) V Vadim Kudriakov (Russia)
56kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) V Bakhtovar Nazirov (Russia)
60kg Patrick Mongan (Ireland) V Vladimir Nikitin (Russia)
64kg Sean McComb (Ireland) V Vitaly Dunaystev (Russia)
69kg Dean Walsh (Ireland) V Sergei Sobylinskii (Russia)
75kg Emmett Brennan (Ireland) V Petr Khamukov (Russia)
81kg Anthony Browne (Ireland) V Georgii Kushitshvii (Russia)
91kg Darren O’Neill (Ireland) V Evgeny Tischenko (Russia)
91+kg Martin Keenan (Ireland) V Ivan Veriasov (Russia)