CORK’S CHRISTINA DESMOND lost a point in the second round of her scrappy contest with England’s Sandy Ryan but still claimed a sensational upset of the reigning Commonwealth champion to advance to the World Championships last 16.
The Macroom BC welterweight shrugged off her nonsensical public warning for ‘slapping’ from the over-involved Czech referee and outfought her Derby-born opponent to the final bell, emerging with a deserved split-decision victory.
The judges scored the 69kg encounter 29-27 x2, 28-28 x2 and 27-29. The Cill na Martra woman will now face Canada’s Myrian Da Silva, the competition’s fifth seed, next Wednesday.
Huge win for @Tina_Desmond in the World Championships last 32 v Sandy Ryan of GB #IrishBoxing pic.twitter.com/UvEHHy1tu3
— Kevin Byrne (@KevByrneBox) October 4, 2019
Desmond forced the issue from the off in the first round but despite the success of her backhand, which connected flush semi-regularly, Ryan countered with aplomb and looked the slightly more nuanced operator early doors.
The Englishwoman was more economical with her output but also a touch more accurate, her jabs venomous and eye-catching.
Desmond landed a huge straight left, though, to start the second and began the middle round in the ascendancy. That was until referee Terezie Krejbychova intervened for the umpteenth time and gave Desmond a public warning — i.e. a point deduction on which tight fights can hinge — for slapping.
Desmond, however, inhaled and regained her composure. Aware that she may have to dominate for the next round and a half in order to force a victory, she took the fight by the scruff of the neck and emptied the tank.
Ryan’s flicking jab matched Desmond’s heavier left during the first minute of the final round, but in the final stretch, Desmond swung for the fences and overwhelmed her favoured opponent through her sheer belligerence.
Both boxers shared a joke at centre-ring before the verdict, but Ryan’s smile turned to a look of bitter disappointment as the contest was awarded to the maniacally celebrating Macroom woman in the blue corner.
Desmond joins Cavan’s Ceire Smith (51kg) in the last 16, while Belfast’s Michaela Walsh can make it three for three in the Irish vest on Saturday. Dundalk’s Amy Broadhurst fights in the last 32 on Sunday.
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