FORMER UNIFIED BANTAMWEIGHT World champion Ryan Burnett, current NABF middleweight champion Jason Quigley and former European silver medalist Darren O’Neill will provide their expert insight when professional boxing returns to TG4′s screens on Friday night.
The trio of Irish boxing stars will be joined in Castlebar for Ray Moylette’s homecoming card by a living legend in the shape of Sean Mannion, the native Irish speaker whose extraordinary journey from Connemara to South Boston was documented in the critically acclaimed film Rocky Ros Muc last year and is currently the topic of a book called The Man Who Was Never Knocked Down.
Mannion’s story involves dealings with feared Boston-Irish ganglord Whitey Bulger and former US president Ronald Reagan among others, but within boxing the 62-year-old is best remembered for being one of the toughest middleweight contenders in the history of the sport: in 57 professional fights, the Gaeltacht native was never once knocked down.
Former Irish Olympic team captain O’Neill has been a staple of RTÉ’s fleeting boxing coverage in recent years, while his former Irish Senior Elite final opponent Quigley has previously provided co-commentary and analysis on Sky Sports.
Burnett is currently recovering from an egregious muscular injury which in effect cost him his WBA World bantamweight title versus Nonito Donaire last time out, but will join his former Irish amateur team-mates on the TG4 panel.
TG4′s live coverage of the Assassin Boxing event will be presented by Máire Treasa Ní Cheallaigh, while Seán Bán Breathnach and Kenneth Egan will provide commentary.
Moylette’s fight for a WBC rankings belt tops the bill at Castlebar’s 2,000-capacity Royal Theatre, but TG4′s three-hour broadcast will also cover the ring returns of Last Man Standing champion Roy Sheahan [4-0], Cork puncher Spike O’Sullivan [28-3, 20KOs] and Cork-Cuban talent Luis Garcia [15-0, 12KOs] who last fought in Ireland eight years ago.
Unbeaten Waterford welterweight standout Dylan Moran [6-0, 4KOs] will also seek his fourth victory of a fruitful year.
Coverage begins at 8:30pm.
An bhfuil sibh réidh? 'The Homecoming' Dé hAoine @ 20.30 ar @TG4TV. @AssassinBoxing @RoyalCastlebar @raymoylette @spike_osullivan @WBCBoxing pic.twitter.com/iLia5I20tq
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) December 4, 2018
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