Boxing Clash – Two shows in Belfast this weekend to kick start the year.

Boxing Clash – Two shows in Belfast this weekend to kick start the year.

January 30, 2020 Off By bloodyshamrock

Professional boxing in Ireland has been struggling of late. With rising insurance costs and a lack of willing venues to put on events south of the border. The promotors who are still willing to put on shows have been left with no option. but to go north, to Belfast. 

This Saturday evening features not one, but two high quality cards in the city with MTK Global returning to the Ulster Hall and Boxing Ireland Promotions bringing their Celtic Clash series back to the Devenish Complex in south Belfast for their third successive instalment. The proverbial ‘waiting for a bus’ analogy comes to mind.

The MTK bill at the Ulster Hall is headlined by rising Belfast star Sean McComb (9-0-0) who has been skyrocketing through the rankings by taking on progressively tougher challengers each time. This outing will be, yet again, the toughest test of his career, taking on a second Argentinian opponent in succession, Mauro Maximiliano Godoy (32-5-1). Overcoming the challenge of Godoy decisively on Saturday night will set McComb up to push on towards ranking titles later in the year. 

Sean McComb in action at the Ulster Hall in October (Pic: Stephen Towers/Bloody Shamrock)

The most talked about fight in Irish boxing circles on the MTK card has to be the match up between Gary Cully (9-0-0) and Joe Fitzpatrick (10-0-0) for the prestigious BUI Irish Lightweight Title. A bout that makes a lot of sense for both fighters at this stage of their careers with the winner no doubt pushing on to bigger and better things in the near future. 

Joe Fitzpatrick (Left) and Gary Cully (Right) clash for the BUI Irish Title in the Ulster Hall on Saturday (Pics: Stephen Towers / Bloody Shamrock)

Other bouts on the Ulster Hall card feature a WBO European Super Bantamweight tile contest between David Oliver Joyce (11-1-0) and former IBF World Champion, the experienced Lee Haskins (36-4-0). Elsewhere on the card Lewis Crocker (10-0-0) steps up to a tougher test in Scotland’s John Thain (17-4-0). Steven Donnelly (8-0-0)  and Padraig McCrory (9-0-0) both feature on the undercard with what should be routine assignments. Full Card Below

Eric Donovan on route to Irish Title sucess last March. He Headlines Celtic Clash 10 this weekend in the Devenish Complex Belfast (Pic: Stephen Towers)

Across town, The Devenish Complex plays host to the tenth instalment of Boxing Ireland’s Celtic Clash series. Headlined by a bout between Kildare’s Eric ‘Lily-white Lightning’ Donovan (11-0-0)  and Mexican, Joseafat Reyes (8-11-1). Donovan’s last bout on Irish soil saw him pick up the Irish Featherweight title, defeating Boxing Ireland Promotions stable mate Stephen McAfee under the bright lights of the National Stadium in Dublin and the TV cameras of TG3. (Since that Clash of the Titans show in March 2019, there has been no professional Boxing in Irelands capital). Eric has been keeping busy in the interim picking up another 3 wins across the water in 2019. Another win here will give him the momentum to push towards a European Title shot in 2020.Popular Belfast fighter Owen O’Neill (3-0-0) heads the undercard and is always sure to blow the roof off with the huge support he brings. Former amateur standout Katelynn Phelan (2-0-0) also continues her progression into the professional boxing game. At the age of 19 its safe to say that we will be watching Phelan for many years to come. 

by Stephen Towers / Bloody Shamrock

MTK Global – Ulster Hall

David Oliver Joyce vs Lee Haskins

Sean McComb vs Mauro Maximiliano Godoy 

Gary Cully vs Joe Fitzpatrick 

Lewis Crocker vs John Thain

Steven Donnelly vs Jordan Geranium

Padraig McCrory vs Lewis van Poetsch

Sean Gerard Duffy vs Jamie Quinn

Callum Bradley vs Michael Horabin

Ruari Dalton vs Rafael Castillo

Pierce O’Leary vs Liam Richards

Damien Sullivan vs Jiri Svacina

Celtic Clash X – The Devenish Complex

Eric Donovan vs Joseafat Reyes

Owen O’Neill vs Alexander Zeledon

Dominic Donegan vs

Aaron Gethins vs Eigio Palacios

Senan Kelly vs Josue Bendana 

Tony McGlynn vs Dale Arrowsmith

Katelynn Phelan vs Borislava Goranova

Rhys Moran vs Andy Bishop