Gavan Casey reports from the National Stadium
ON A MEMORABLE night of high-calibre action on Dublin’s South Circular Road, old rivalries were renewed, new rivalries were forged, and 11 protagonists were crowned Irish Senior Elite champions for the first time.
At this crucial juncture in the Olympic cycle, we may not quite yet know who will even make it to Tokyo in Irish colours, but on Saturday we gained some cognisance as to who will likely lead the charge in the relevant divisions.
And then there are those who might not quite make it to the Far East but will doubtless have one eye on the shorter flight to Paris in 2024.
World lightweight champion Kellie Harrington, who received a walkover at 60kg and instead won an exhibition bout against Sweden’s Jelena Jelic, can surely be viewed by many as a beacon for patience regardless of how they fared in their respective deciders.
The night began off-television but many of the early scraps transpired to be worthy of the small screen. Thankfully, the event’s broacasters, TG4, streamed all 18 finals on YouTube to complement their television coverage which took in five of the last six encounters.
In the light-flyweight (49kg) final between St Teresa’s Regan Buckley and Monkstown’s Sean Mari, Buckley was the more authoritative force en route to a unanimous decision.
The Bray man — a former Intermediate champion and Elite runner-up — marched Monkstown’s Mari backwards from the first bell, utilising his superior timing and shot selection to move into an unassailable lead barring catastrophe.
Buckley, who had a brief dalliance in the pro ranks in 2017 before re-applying the vest — fighters can revert to amateur provided they’ve fought fewer than five times as a pro, and Buckley was 2-0 with one of those wins against current Irish professional bantamweight champion Carl McDonald — was also notably more comfortable when the contest veered towards closer quarters, holding his ground at centre-ring before firing off in flurries.
His uppercuts off either hand were particularly potent, although Mari planted one of his own on Buckley’s kisser in the middle of a fun second stanza.
Then, in the third, a minor twist if not quite that aforementioned catastrophe: Buckley was deducted a point for persistent low blows, rousing the Monkstown massive who roared their man toward a furious final minute.
The point back wasn’t enough for Mari, however, who offered his hearty congratulations to Buckley when it was announced that the red-corner fighter had done enough to become the new Irish Senior Elite champion at 49kg.
Next up was the women’s middleweight final between Castlerea’s Aoife O’Rourke and Athlone’s Cheyanne O’Neill.
An explosive opening verse was probably shaded by heavy favourite O’Rourke, but O’Neill was scarcely gun-shy as she loaded up on shots from the outside.
The Athlone woman in the blue corner moved around with her hands by her sides, but O’Rourke only took the bait when certain she could get out of dodge after landing some damage of her own. A heavy exchange in a neutral corner towards the end of the second was probably shaded by O’Rourke, who buzzed O’Neill on the bell with a thudding overhand right.
O’Neill dug deep to begin the third, walking through an onslaught to land plenty of significant shots of her own, but this was O’Rourke’s fight to lose. It never looked likely despite O’Neill’s hearty efforts. The conspicuously fitter woman powered home, peppering O’Neill with a series of powerful right hands before the final bell sounded.
Two other women’s divisions were decided early-doors, with Canal BC’s Chloe Fleck repeating her Ulster final success against Donna Barr of Illies Golden Gloves in Donegal on a 3-1 split at 48kg (light-flyweight), and decorated Irish international Michaela Walsh of Monkstown Antrim earning a unanimous decision over Crumlin’s Dearbhla Duffy of Crumlin BC at 57 (featherweight).
Walsh, a European bronze medalist at featherweight last year and the EU champion a divsion below in 2017, produced a polished performance against the evergreen Duffy before receiving her trophy from Paddy Barnes Sr.
Also at featherweight, a thrilling men’s final saw Drimnagh’s Paddy Adamus, who had former Olympic champion Michael Carruth in his corner, take a razor-tight split-decision verdict over Portalaoise’s Christian Cekiso.
Neither man could have felt fortunate nor robbed by the end of a humdinger which was edged 3-2 by the Dublin 12-based fighter, but perhaps most decisive was the second round which was unquestionably shaded by Adamus.
The others were take-your-pick rounds, and credit to Cekiso who embraced his opponent rather than make any misguided protestations.
The supremely talented David Oliver Joyce — a famous name within Irish boxing, but this one hailing from Navan by way of Ballymun BC — put on an exhibition in the men’s 60kg (lightweight) showpiece against Dominic Bradley of Errigal BC.
Joyce, who only recently turned 18, counter-punched to perfection, landing in threes and fours and barely taking a lick off Bradley as he weaved effortlessly in his southpaw stance towards a unanimous verdict.
In what was a rematch of the U22s 60kg semi last month, Bradley couldn’t have been faulted for his efforts as he walked forward in search of a miracle, but it would have been too much to have bestowed upon him a round on this occasion.
Dealgan’s Amy Broadhurst is now a reigning Irish and English Elite champion as she picked up her first Senior title on these shores with a unanimous-decision win over Moira McElligot of St Michael’s Athy in the women’s 64kg (light-welterweight final).
The 22-year-old, who won 16 Irish titles at underage level, lost to Kellie Harrington in last year’s Irish Elite decider a division below and has postponed her Olympic ambitions to make way for amateur world lightweight champion Harrington ahead of Tokyo 2020.
Broadhurst, who aims to either replace or usurp Harrington at 60kg by Paris 2024, cruised to an expected victory against the game but out-boxed McElligot.
This was followed by a comparably raucous and utterly explosive affair as Evan Metcalfe of the Hyland Boxing Academy — the three Hyland brothers Eddie, Paul and Patrick in his corner — went toe-to-toe with Monivea’s Adam Hession.
The fight of the night to this point as 8pm approached, both men went hell for leather but not for the want of skill.
Metcalfe, who won the Senior title at 56kg last year only to have it stripped on a doping charge, looked more than at home carrying four fewer kilograms, but the 18-year-old Hession was landing his fair share of bombs in a first round which nearly took the roof off the oldest purpose-built boxing arena in the world.
Disaster struck for the Galway teenager in an equally enthralling second, however, when he was docked a point for incessant low blows; he had already felled Metcalfe with a stray one in the opener.
Hession perhaps did enough to level the round with a strong finish, landing a series of thudding shots towards the bell, but he faced an uphill battle in the third and final round.
With the fight on the line, both men threw with abandon towards the finish. Hession wound up on the floor at the final bell but only due to a tangling of legs, allowing Metcalfe to salute his fervent support in advance of the decision.
It was Hession, however, whose supporters were going ape moments later as their man was awarded a 4-1 split decision.
The furious Metcalfe initially waved away Hession’s attempt at a handshake, also refusing to acknowledge the Monivea corner despite approaching them on the blue side.
The colourful Dub then unleashed a verbal tirade into TG4′s camera in protest at the decision before re-approaching Hession to apologise for his initial snub. He embraced the victor at the second time of asking.
The Tribesmen went two for two in the 75kg (middleweight) final which followed, with the hard-hitting Gabriel Dossen of Olympic Galway shaking off a pre-existing knee injury to earn a unanimous call against Emmett Brennan of Glasnevin BC.
Brennan had some success early doors before Dossen followed a stiff jab by putting the Dub to canvas with what looked like a straight left hand but, with the benefit of replay, was undoubtedly an accidental headbutt as Brennan rushed in on the attack.
To the Glasnevin man’s credit, he did plenty of his own work throughout and enough in the third to earn it on one of five cards, but it was Dossen whose hand was raised when all was said and done.
In the women’s 80kg (light-heavyweight) final, it was Crumlin’s Leona Houlihan who won her second Elite title as she edged out Aglish BC’s Lisa Browne on a 3-2 split.
It was scarcely a robbery but Browne can consider herself unfortunately after pouring it on in an exciting third, landing a sequence of huge shots.
Houlihan, however, saw the contest out to have her hand raised once more at 80kg.
Another Browne, Tony — no relation to Lisa — might have thought he was due to suffer a similar fate when he was docked two points in the second round of his 91kg (heavyweight) showdown with Kenneth Okungbowa, but the Rathmines native won his first Senior title when an unbelievably scrappy bout was stopped due to a cut suffered by Browne himself by way of an accidental head clash.
Okungbowa of Athlone was docked a solitary point, also in the second, and suffered at least one cut of his own during what was the wrong kind of phonebooth war.
The bloodshed caused frequent stoppages as Browne, in particular, was tended to by ringside doctors before a coming-together of heads in the third saw the St Michael’s Inchicore man’s wound worsened to the point of no return.
Amid serious confusion at ringside, only the first two rounds were scored. Browne was adjudged to have won both, giving him a 20-18 lead before the points deductions were implemented. As such, he edged the contest on an 18-17 scoreline.
Okungbowa likely won’t be the only one with questions about the scoring system.
The first scrap of TG4′s televised portion of the night saw Holy Family Golden Gloves’ Carly McNaul and Ryston’s Niamh Earley fight relentlessly from pillar to post in a memorable 51kg (flyweight) showpiece.
It was McNaul who was given a 3-2 split decision in a corker, her unwavering assaults in the third round perhaps enough to sway the judges in her favour.
Last year’s beaten finalist in the same weight class, Earley came within a whisker of going one better but faded slightly towards the close, swallowing what were albeit tired shots from her opponent without much in response as the final bell approached.
Next up was the men’s 63kg (light-welterweight) final, during which silky-smooth Olympic prospect James McGivern of Belfast’s famous St George’s club just-about saw past the impressive George Bates of Dublin’s St Mary’s on a 3-2 split.
In a tepid and technical affair compared to what had preceded it, the tension in which was only punctuated by fleeting moments of action, the Antrim man was ever-so-slightly the more accurate where Bates attempted to hit hard when he could hit at all.
This was followed by what was, on paper at least, the prospective fight of the night for Irish boxing connoisseurs.
It was Cork’s Christina Desmond who scored what many would have considered a minor upset over her Irish team-mate Gráinne Walsh, the Fr Horgan’s woman earning a 3-2 split decision in what was a high-calibre and high-octane clash of boxer-punchers.
Desmond began on the front foot, her left hand thunderous and potent, finding Walsh’s chin on several occasions.
Last year’s Fighter of the Tournament, Spartacus BC’s Walsh fired back with a one-two combination around the ears before finding her rhythm that bit more in the second, catching Desmond frequently as she came in on the offensive.
But the Leesider was still finding the mark in her own right, her forward pressure often backing Walsh to the ropes or to the corners where Desmond would fire in twos and threes.
Two of the judges scored the contest 30-27 to Desmond which was harsh on Walsh who clearly took the third with the more effective and accurate work. The overall verdict, however, was fair enough.
Most remarkable about it is the fact that this time last year, Desmond was campaigning at 75kg to considerable success. Six kilograms lighter on Saturday night, she was a markedly improved fighter and it might yet transpire that she becomes a major force at welterweight.
A fight later, Galway went three for three: in the battles of Thomases, it was Celtic Eagles’ O’Toole who shocked Cork man Tommy Hyde of Mayfield BC on a well-deserved 4-1 split.
In what was an aesthetically pleasing battle of stylists, none of the five judges had more than a round between either man. Hyde, while dejected, didn’t complain and probably didn’t have a right to despite fighting gallantly throughout.
The Galway massive sat on the entrance side of the Stadium celebrated maniacally, as did O’Toole before consoling his game foe.
And it only got better for the westerners, who soon afterwards completed their Grand Slam: four Galway boxers, four separate gyms, four Irish champions.
This was another mouth-watering encounter on paper, and it lived up to its billing. Young prodigies Kieran Molloy and Paddy Donovan gelled to produce quite the spectacle, but the slightly-older Molloy, 20, was also slightly superior in most departments.
The Tribesman, fighting out of Ougterard BC, dominated the opener even allowing for Donovan’s stronger finish. Molloy was accurate off either hand, timing thudding shots to perfection on the usually-slippery Munsterman, capitalising on Donovan’s tendency to defend reflexively with his hands by his hips.
Donovan’s crowd was somewhat smaller and so some of his own considerable success — razor-sharp jabs and lightning-fast counter shots — was met was less verbal acclaim, while the Galway faithful let out ear-piercing roars even when Molloy wasn’t within an ass’s roar of landing a shot. At one stage, the louder crowd even cheered a shot landed by Donovan in the clinch, such was their enthusiasm.
It was a fight which got better and better as it progressed, and so too did Our Lady of Lourdes standout Donovan following what was probably a costly slow start on his behalf.
Molloy was class throughout, but got more spiteful, smiling almost goadingly at Donovan as the final bell neared.
The reigning champion was given a unanimous decision much to Donovan’s conspicuous dismay, but depending on both men’s future plans, theirs could be a rivalry that plays out — hopefully on television — over many years.
Finally, in the rematch of last year’s 91+kg showdown, Clonmel BC’s Dean Gardiner repeated his success over Martin Keenan of Rathkeale, dropping his rival in the first round en route to a 5-0 whitewash.
The behemoth they call ‘Breakfast’ will now make one last push for the Olympics.
At the tail-end of a manic night of rip-roaring back-and-forths, Gabriel Dossen was named Best Male Boxer, while Christina Desmond took female honours.
Baldoyle’s Emma Flannery and Rathkeale’s Nell Fox won 54kg and 80+kg titles respectively on walkovers, Flannery’s title bringing the total tally of new champions this year to 11.
Irish Senior Elite Championship finals results
- 48kg – Chloe Fleck (Canal) beat Donna Barr (Illies GG) 3-1
- 49kg – Regan Buckley (St Teresa’s) beat Sean Mari (Monkstown D) 5-0
- 75kg – Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea) beat Cheyanne O’Neill (Athlone) 5-0
- 57kg – Michaela Walsh (Monkstown A) beat Dervla Duffy (Crumlin) 5-0
- 57kg – Paddy Adamus (Drimnagh) beat Christian Cekiso (Portlaoise) 3-2
- 60kg – David Oliver Joyce (Ballymun) beat Dominic Bradley (Errigal) 5-0
- 64kg – Amy Broadhurst (Dealgan) beat Moira McElligott (St Michael’s K) 5-0
- 52kg – Adam Hession (Monivea) Evan Metcalfe (Hyland BA) 4-1
- 75kg – Gabriel Dossen (Olympic G) V Emmett Brennan (Glasnevin) 5-0
- 80kg – Leona Houlihan (Crumlin) beat Lisa Browne (Aglish) 3-2
- 91kg – Tony Browne (St Michael’s D) beat Kenneth Okungbowa (Athlone) 5-0
- 51kg – Carly McNaul (Holy Family GG) beat Niamh Earley (Ryston) 3-2
- 63kg – James McGivern (St George’s) bet George Bates (St Mary’s) 3-2
- 69kg – Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s) beat Grainne Walsh (Sparticus) 3-2
- 81kg – Thomas O’Toole (Celtic Eagles) beat Tommy Hyde (Mayfield) 3-2
- 69kg – Kieran Molloy (Oughterard) beat Paddy Donovan (OLOL) 5-0
- 60kg – Kellie Harrington (Ireland) beat Jelena Jelic (Sweden) 5-0
- 91+kg – Dean Gardiner (Clonmel) beat Martin Keenan (Rathkeale) 5-0
