HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHTER JACK Marley looks at the upcoming European Elite Boxing Championships as an opportunity to build on a successful few weeks for Irish sport.
He mentions the recent European Athletics Championships where Mark English and Kate O’Connor [gold], Rhasidat Adeleke [silver] and Andrew Coscoran [bronze] brought medals home to Ireland.
The rowing is obviously on his mind too. In just the last few days, Ireland achieved one gold and two silver medals at the World Championships in Amsterdam.
And then there’s the swimming. Ireland returned from the European Aquatics Championships with a haul of five medals earlier this month.
Aaron McKenna was recently crowned the middleweight champion of the world after a unanimous-decision win over Italy’s Etinosa Oliha. Marley was at the 3Arena to witness it all as McKenna became Ireland’s fourth-ever world champion in the division.
And as legendary boxer Katie Taylor prepares to bring down the curtain on a decorated career at Croke Park this weekend, Marley is energised by the rising tide that is lifting all boats.
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Katie Taylor's much anticipated fight in Croke Park is finally happening this weekend. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
“It’s been an amazing couple of months,” he begins.
“It’s great not just to be an Irish boxer, but to be an Irish athlete at the moment. I think it’s amazing to witness all these things going on and everyone doing so well. And to be part of that or to even add on to that would be something special.”
“I think it’s great that all these tournaments and all these different sports are back to back for the past few weeks, and I think that’d be great to keep the attention and the eye on Irish sport.”
Marley would love to be able to attend Taylor’s swansong bout against the undefeated French fighter Flora Pili at GAA headquarters on Saturday night, but the European Championships in Bulgaria are quickly coming into view.
The competition will run from 17-25 September, and preparations continue this week with a sparring camp in Dublin. Saturday will be a rest day for Marley, but a packed out Croke Park won’t be a suitable place to spend his downtime.
The TV coverage on RTÉ and Dazn will have to suffice for the final act of a trailblazer in women’s boxing.
“The growth of it has been phenomenal. That wouldn’t have been possible without Katie. Someone had to walk that road alone before anyone else could do it. I’ve seen that clip yesterday of Barry Keoghan and the whole story of it. I think he really captured it great.
“I don’t think she’s going to finish on a bad note. I think she’ll push on for her last hurrah. It’s going to be tough, but it’s everything she wanted.”
There is plenty of Irish representation on the Taylor v Pili undercard. Dublin heavyweight Thomas Carty will take on Dave Allen of Doncaster. An all-Irish welterweight showdown between Limerick’s Paddy Donovan (15-2, 11 KOs) and Belfast’s Tyrone McKenna (25-6-1, 8 KOs) is also on the way, while Tokyo Olympian Emmet Brennan (6-0, 1 KO) faces Southampton super-middleweight hotshot Taylor Bevan (9-0, 8 KOs).
Jobstown heavyweight fighter Adam Olaynian 3-0 (3KOs) is also on the bill against an opponent who is still yet to be announced. Marley was always a weight class beneath Olaynian when they were both on the rise as amateurs.
“Adam would be super heavyweight in the amateurs. He was a good kid coming through, and then he made the breakthrough to senior. He got a year at senior, and then he got to the elite final and then he turned over.
“I think he’ll do very well. He’s only young. He has to get experience. I think he’ll be amazing.”
Marley was one win away from an Olympic medal in Paris two years ago, losing out to Tajikistan’s Davlat Boltaev in the quarter-finals. However, his campaign at the European Amateur Championships in Belgrade ended in the first round when he bowed out to Victor Schelstraete of Belgium via split decision.
The Monkstown brawler is grateful for the improvements that have followed since then, and hopes to showcase his growth in Bulgaria.
Hopefully, that will convert into further success for Irish sport this year.
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“The weight change from 92kg to 90kg has been good. I think I’ve learned a lot more about my body and what I have to do coming close to competition, and just the small one percents before I get in the ring.
“Just changing between speed and power and trying to combine the two of them and not trying to focus on one thing. Just trying to differentiate between the two. Just tip, tip, tip and then bang.”
****
Jack Marley is a brand ambassador for Chadwicks, Ireland’s leading builders’ provider.
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'It's great not just to be an Irish boxer, but to be an Irish athlete at the moment'
HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHTER JACK Marley looks at the upcoming European Elite Boxing Championships as an opportunity to build on a successful few weeks for Irish sport.
He mentions the recent European Athletics Championships where Mark English and Kate O’Connor [gold], Rhasidat Adeleke [silver] and Andrew Coscoran [bronze] brought medals home to Ireland.
The rowing is obviously on his mind too. In just the last few days, Ireland achieved one gold and two silver medals at the World Championships in Amsterdam.
And then there’s the swimming. Ireland returned from the European Aquatics Championships with a haul of five medals earlier this month.
Aaron McKenna was recently crowned the middleweight champion of the world after a unanimous-decision win over Italy’s Etinosa Oliha. Marley was at the 3Arena to witness it all as McKenna became Ireland’s fourth-ever world champion in the division.
And as legendary boxer Katie Taylor prepares to bring down the curtain on a decorated career at Croke Park this weekend, Marley is energised by the rising tide that is lifting all boats.
“It’s been an amazing couple of months,” he begins.
“It’s great not just to be an Irish boxer, but to be an Irish athlete at the moment. I think it’s amazing to witness all these things going on and everyone doing so well. And to be part of that or to even add on to that would be something special.”
“I think it’s great that all these tournaments and all these different sports are back to back for the past few weeks, and I think that’d be great to keep the attention and the eye on Irish sport.”
Marley would love to be able to attend Taylor’s swansong bout against the undefeated French fighter Flora Pili at GAA headquarters on Saturday night, but the European Championships in Bulgaria are quickly coming into view.
The competition will run from 17-25 September, and preparations continue this week with a sparring camp in Dublin. Saturday will be a rest day for Marley, but a packed out Croke Park won’t be a suitable place to spend his downtime.
The TV coverage on RTÉ and Dazn will have to suffice for the final act of a trailblazer in women’s boxing.
“The growth of it has been phenomenal. That wouldn’t have been possible without Katie. Someone had to walk that road alone before anyone else could do it. I’ve seen that clip yesterday of Barry Keoghan and the whole story of it. I think he really captured it great.
“I don’t think she’s going to finish on a bad note. I think she’ll push on for her last hurrah. It’s going to be tough, but it’s everything she wanted.”
There is plenty of Irish representation on the Taylor v Pili undercard. Dublin heavyweight Thomas Carty will take on Dave Allen of Doncaster. An all-Irish welterweight showdown between Limerick’s Paddy Donovan (15-2, 11 KOs) and Belfast’s Tyrone McKenna (25-6-1, 8 KOs) is also on the way, while Tokyo Olympian Emmet Brennan (6-0, 1 KO) faces Southampton super-middleweight hotshot Taylor Bevan (9-0, 8 KOs).
Jobstown heavyweight fighter Adam Olaynian 3-0 (3KOs) is also on the bill against an opponent who is still yet to be announced. Marley was always a weight class beneath Olaynian when they were both on the rise as amateurs.
“Adam would be super heavyweight in the amateurs. He was a good kid coming through, and then he made the breakthrough to senior. He got a year at senior, and then he got to the elite final and then he turned over.
“I think he’ll do very well. He’s only young. He has to get experience. I think he’ll be amazing.”
Marley was one win away from an Olympic medal in Paris two years ago, losing out to Tajikistan’s Davlat Boltaev in the quarter-finals. However, his campaign at the European Amateur Championships in Belgrade ended in the first round when he bowed out to Victor Schelstraete of Belgium via split decision.
The Monkstown brawler is grateful for the improvements that have followed since then, and hopes to showcase his growth in Bulgaria.
Hopefully, that will convert into further success for Irish sport this year.
“The weight change from 92kg to 90kg has been good. I think I’ve learned a lot more about my body and what I have to do coming close to competition, and just the small one percents before I get in the ring.
“Just changing between speed and power and trying to combine the two of them and not trying to focus on one thing. Just trying to differentiate between the two. Just tip, tip, tip and then bang.”
****
Jack Marley is a brand ambassador for Chadwicks, Ireland’s leading builders’ provider.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Adam Olaniyan all together now Boxing European Boxing Championships Jack Marley Katie Taylor