MAYO’S RAY MOYLETTE [11-1, 4KOs] will have to wait a while longer before returning to the squared circle after his fascinating-looking all-Irish clash with Monaghan’s Larry Fryers [10-1, 3KOs] in Boston, scheduled for Friday, was cancelled due to visa issues.
Moylette’s trainer, Celtic Warrior Gym chief Paschal Collins, confirmed on Wednesday night that ‘Sugar Ray’ and his Celtic Warrior gym-mate Niall O’Connor — who himself was bound for a career-biggest fight in Beantown — encountered a last-minute stumbling block at Dublin Airport which could not be rectified in time.
Both fights are due to be rescheduled and are expected to take place within a matter of weeks.
“Kills me to notify everybody planning a trip to Boston on Friday that both Niall O’Connor and Ray Moylette are both off the card,” said Collins. “Visa issues at Dublin Airport prevented them from entering the US. Although they can be rectified, [we] didn’t have enough time to attend the Embassy.
“Both myself and Murphys Boxing are working tirelessly to rectify this problem and reschedule both fights. Expect [a] new fight date soon.”
‘Sugar Ray’ hasn’t fought since he fell just short in a sensational, TG4-televised homecoming headliner with Mexican Christian Uruzquieta in Castlebar last December, and recently split with his management team, the now-defunct Assassin Boxing.
The Islandeady man was aiming to bounce back from his first career defeat at the newly constructed Encore Casino in Boston Harbour.
‘Lethal Larry’ had sparred former 140-pound world champion Chris Algieri in advance of the crossroads clash. Fryers has himself rebounded from a first career defeat — a sixth-round TKO to Russian Nikolai Buzolin in 2018 — with four straight wins, one of them by stoppage.
Added Moylette: “Very disappointing that my comeback show is on hold for a few weeks due to delays with Visa applications. Sorry to all my travelling support but this was out of my control. We are very confident the documentation will be sorted over the coming days and fight news [will] follow.
“I was at my best form yet. Now I have been handed more time to build. This is just a bump on the long road. Apologies to all my supporters. Updates to follow soon.”
Dublin’s O’Connor [5-0, 4KOs] was due to take on a massive challenge in the shape of Rio Olympian Luis Arcon [7-0, 7KOs] of Venezuela.
A decorated amateur with several continental American medals to his name, as well as experience in the World Series of Boxing, Arcon also eliminated Wexford’s Dean Walsh from the 2015 World Championships in Doha.
