LONDON OLYMPIC SILVER medalist John Joe Nevin will return to the ring after a nine-month absence on a bumper Saturday for some of Ireland’s top professional boxers.
The Mullingar lightweight [10-0, 4KOs] earned a career-best win over the previously undefeated Alex Torres Rynn in Pennsylvania in March, a fight which it was hoped would kickstart a pro career previously hampered by injury, personal issues and subsequent inactivity.
However, a follow-up bout in June fell through on his opponent’s end, and without the backing of a major promoter, Nevin has had to remain patient in his bid to return to the ring.
On Saturday, he faces 35-year-old Nicaraguan Reynaldo Cajina [14-55-5, 10KOs] at London’s York Hall in a bout which scarcely captures the imagination but one which Nevin hopes will allow him to gain momentum ahead of a crucial 2019.
Still just 29, the former two-time World Championship bronze medalist and European champion is chasing bouts with Olympic final conqueror Luke Campbell as well as U.S. star Gervonta Davis, but will need to put the foot down next year if he’s to work his way into contention to face either.
Nevin has recently been sparring his former Irish team-mate and fellow 2013 European gold medalist Ray Moylette.
It’s understood that Saturday night’s contest will likely be the Westmeath stylist’s last eight-rounder before graduating to the 10-distance.
Earlier that same day, and half a world away, Kilcullen light-middleweight Dennis Hogan [27-1-1, 7KOs] takes the final step towards a long-awaited world title shot when he squares off with fellow Aussie adoptee Jamie Weetch [12-2, 5KOs] — originally of Wales — at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
‘Hurricane’ Hogan, 33, is the mandatory challenger for Jaime Munguia’s WBO world title at 154lbs, and so victory would all but guarantee him a shot at the Mexican in first half of 2019.
Hogan-Weetch will be streamed live on Epicentre TV around Saturday lunchtime.
Katie Taylor [11-0, 5KOs] is also in action later on Saturday night when she defends her WBA and IBF lightweight world titles against the also-undefeated Eva Wahlstrom [22-0-1, 3KOs] of Finland, a former amateur rival of the Bray woman.
Wahlstrom is currently the WBC World super-featherweight champion and will move up a division to challenge for Taylor’s two belts at Madison Square Garden.
Taylor and Wahlstrom’s first outing at the iconic Big-Apple venue arrives on the undercard of Canelo vs Rocky Fielding and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in Ireland as well as DAZN in the States.
Murray Kinsella, Gavan Casey and Andy Dunne preview a big weekend of Heineken Cup action and dissect the week’s main talking points.
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