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