Fighting Irish hold their own
 By Larry
cooney
Ireland’s amateur boxers fought out an entertaining 4-4 draw in
their international contest against England at Brent Town Hall.
Wexford fighter Shane Cox gave Ireland the perfect start when he had a
surprising 26-16 verdict over Ashley Sexton in the 51kgs weight category.
Although giving away a few inches in height to his opponent Cox’s
accurate punches proved decisive although few agreed that there were 10
points between the boxers at the end.
Ireland’s early success was short-lived and by the half-way stage
of the contest England had gone into a deserved 4-1 lead.
Although Darragh Hamill finished strongly in his bout against the impressive
Gary Barker he failed to make up the leeway by three points. Irish flyweight
champion Carl Frampton also disappointed in his bout with Stewart Langley.
There were also heavy defeats for Clonmel’s Kevin Fennessy and Mullingar’s
David Anthony Joyce.
The second-half of the show featured Ireland’s Commonwealth Games
boxing hero TJ Hamilton in the 69kgs weight category. The better known
of the Ballymena brothers was given a severe test by his taller opponent
Anthony Ogogo. However after a battling performance Hamill emerged victorious
and reduced Ireland’s arrears to 4-2 with a brace of bouts remaining.
David Oliver Joyce was next in the ring and was pitted against Daniel
Harman in one of the best bouts of the evening. The turning point of the
fight came in the third round when Joyce took a commanding lead, producing
a sequence of powerful right hand shots to weaken his opponent to record
a seven -point victory he was full value for. Suddenly there was only
the minimum between the teams and Kilkenny fighter Darren O’Neill
had the chance to level the match and maintain national pride.
This would turn out to be the most one-sided bout on the card, O’Neill
outclassing his opponent from the off to make it honours even on the night.
This was a strong looking England team so for the Irish lads to get a
draw bodes well for the future of the amateur game in the Emerald Isle.
Those Irish lads will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Andrew Murray.
The Cavan-born, London-based fighter was recently nominated as Irish Prospect
of the Year by a respected boxing magazine and has just signed a lucrative
sponsorship agreement with bookmaker Paddy Power — taking another
step on the road to the top of his profession for the promising fighter.
Murray has won all five of his professional fights to date and the lightweight
will take to the ring against an as yet unknown opponent in the Yorke
Hall in London on Ma 1 before a possible fight in America later in the
year, and a potential title shot in 2007.
|
