LAST UPDATE | 17 Aug 2020
WEXFORD BOXING STAR Dean Walsh has ditched the amateur vest and signed a professional deal with Boxing Ireland Promotions, the promotional outfit have confirmed.
A 2015 European bronze medallist and four-time Irish Elite champion across two weights, the 26-year-old is the nephew of legendary former Ireland head coach — and current USA equivalent — Billy Walsh.
Dean Walsh, who in the unpaid ranks boxed out of the St Ibar’s/Joseph’s club, missed out on emulating his uncle’s Olympic participation during qualification for Rio 2016, a debated split-decision defeat to Azerbaijan’s Lorenzo Sotomayor — the eventual Rio silver medallist at light-welterweight (64kg) — putting paid to that particular dream.
His career has more recently been in limbo, with Walsh slipping behind Belfast’s Aidan Walsh and Galway’s Kieran Molloy in the pecking order of a glittering domestic welterweight (69kg) division.
The Wexford Town native will now punch for pay under the banner of Boxing Ireland, the managerial-promotional group who steered the career of Eric Donovan before his recent departure for Mark Dunlop, and the creators and curators of the Celtic Clash series.
“I just think now is the right time,” said Walsh. “I was debating it for a couple of years. I was offered a few times over in England, there were offers there for me, but the only reason I didn’t take it because I want to build my fan base, get my own crowd behind me.
The Wexford crowd really get behind you – you see the boys up in All-Irelands, the hurling, even the soccer; the Wexford fans are always there. Wexford were there for all my All-Ireland finals. I have a good fan base and there’s a lot of family friends too. It’s not just Wexford Town, it’s all around the county: Enniscorthy, Gorey, Ferns — they all know what I can do. I’m a very proud Wexford man and my goal is to bring titles back to the county.
“There were a couple of fighters that were in my weight and all they were doing was running,” Walsh added. “It was just ‘hit and run, hit and run, hit and run,’ — and that’s fine. In my last few amateur fights I was only getting going late in the second round or the third round. That was just my age, it’s just the way it is, I was always a fast starter but now I want to be boxing over four, six, eight rounds. I’ve always been training that way anyway.
“I just want to get a platform behind me first, get the training, just get a taste of what the pro boxing is all about.
It’s a tough grind at the start and I’m aware of that — I’ve been told that. But I just know that my talent and my will to box and to become a world champion is there. I do know I can definitely become a European or world champion — I just know I can.
Founded and run by Sligo businessman Leonard Gunning, Boxing Ireland last week confirmed a major opportunity for one of their other top prospects, Kildare’s Katelynn Phelan [3-0], who will square off with German champion Jessica Schadko [8-0, 2KOS] in the latter’s hometown of Donauwoerth on 5 September.
On his signing of Walsh, Gunning said
We’ve been tracking the progress of Dean Walsh for probably three or four years. We went to London to watch him compete in the Haringey Box Cup and I was blown away with his ability from what I saw over there. It was such a style that I said, ‘This guy is not suited to the amateurs.’ Although he’s achieved so much in the amateur ranks, when I saw his movement and his power in the ring in London I just thought, ‘This guy’s got to turn pro.’
“The sky is the absolute limit for Dean. He has an engaging personality and a likeability, so when you add that to his natural talent, range of punches and devastating power, then I am sure Dean can go a long way in the professional game.”
Walsh is the latest of three recent additions to Irish boxing’s professional scene, with fellow former amateur standouts Tony Browne of Dublin and Tiernan Bradley of Tyrone turning over last week. Both men have penned managerial contracts with Slater Sports Consultancy, while Browne has also signed a three-year promotional deal with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing outfit in New York.
- Updated at 18:30 with quotes from Dean Walsh and manager-promoter Leonard Gunning
