County Antrim Board IABA

Presents

Irish News Sponsored ‘Tale of Two Cities’ Boxing Clash

Belfast Select v Dublin Select 2009

Glen Park, Ardoyne Avenue, Belfast

Friday 12th June at 8pm

No

Cat/Wgt

Belfast Select

Result

Dublin Select

Red Corner

Blue Corner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Y1 44kg

Joel Scullion

All Saints

1-4

Shane O’Neill

Dublin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

B2 36kg

Neil McClerkin

Saints

6-1

Bernie Lawrence

Dublin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

B4 44kg

Martin Farrelly

Oliver Plunkett

6-2

Michael Corcoran

Dublin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

B4 48kg

Ronan Devlin

Toome

4-2

Eddie Stokes

Dublin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

B4 54kg 

Anthony O’Rawe 

Braid 

7-5

Shane Roach 

Dublin 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

B4 57kg

Thomas Waites

Toome

1-3

Anthony Byrne

Dublin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

Inter 57kg

James Fryers

Immaculata

2-3

Gavin Keating

Dublin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 8

Y1 57kg 

Enda Kennedy 

Toome 

 3-4

Michael McDonagh 

Dublin 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

Y1 57kg

Noel Adams

Gleann

8-3

Martin Stokes

Dublin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

Inter 57kg

Stephen Richmond

Braid

7-3

Glen Murphy

Dublin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11

Inter 63kg

Brian McSorley

Dockers

7-2

Robert Murphy

Dublin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 10

Inter 69kg 

Ben McCourt 

Dockers 

7-9

John Corcoran

Dublin 

 

 

 

 

 

Tony Davitt

Coach
             
     

Belfast 

8 - 4

Dublin

  

 

 

 

 

 

    

Boy 4 Contests 3 x 1.5 minute rounds

Youth and Intermediate Contests 3 x 2 minute rounds

 

 

 

 

back to calendar

 

 

 

 

Belfast in good shape for a duel with Dublin

Boxing: Irish News Cup
By Thomas Hawkins
12/06/2009
 

Barry McGuigan’s new pro signing Carl Frampton (left) puts in some quick work on the pads with coaches Gerry Storey Sr and Jr

CARL?CLASS: Barry McGuigan’s new pro signing Carl Frampton (left) puts in some quick work on the pads with coaches Gerry Storey Sr and Jr ahead of tonight’s debut at featherweight in Liverpool Olympia against 19-year-old Hungarian novice Sandor Szinavel (0-1). Meanwhile, Detroit-based Andy Lee will have his 19th contest on the undercard of stablemate Wladimir Klitschko’s IBF and WBO heavyweight title defence in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on June 20 against Latvia’s Olegs Fedotovs (10-5). Lee celebrated his 25th birthday yesterday at the Klitschko training camp in. Picture: Hugh Russell

 

McCourt, Fryers, McGuinness, Collins are names that conjure up so many magical memories of epic fight nights of yesteryear for Belfast and Irish amateur fight fans.
Olympic bronze medal winner Jim McCourt (Immaculata) needs no introduction; the Falls Road southpaw was the best lightweight in the business in the ’60s.
Irish international Damian Fryers (Holy Trinity) and the hugely-talented Seamus McGuinness (Immaculata) are next up and Fryers’ Ulster Senior final battle with Barry McGuigan lives long in the memory.
Last but not least is that Dublin legend with the granite chin, Steve Collins, the man who went on to become WBO middle and middleweight champion in the mid ’90s and whose wars with Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn are fight classics.
Tonight, another four young boxers named McCourt (Ben), Fryers (James), McGuinness (Liam) and Collins (Paul) will be among 20 young warriors of 2009 as the best of Belfast prepare to face the might of Dublin for The Irish News Cup.
“This annual Tale of Two Cities clash is always a close call and tonight’s bill at the Glenpark social club in north Belfast (8pm start) will be no exception,” said Antrim County Board secretary Mal Scott.
Aiming to set the Belfast side on the road to victory is Immaculata featherweight James Fryers, nephew of that tough Holy Trinity box-fighter Damian and the reigning Irish junior champion at 57kilos.
And his Mac coach, Gerard ‘Nugget’ Nugent, reckons tonight’s bill will be another step on the road to greater senior honours for the Corpus Christi pupil.
“James is in great shape after his Irish junior title win, he’s in great nick for this bill,” said Nugent.
“He beat three Irish champions to get the Irish title, that was in the middle of May with the finals on May 22, so that shows you what form he’s in.
“He has a very good defence and a great boxer.
“He had a great win in the juniors over a very good kid, Charlie Heggarty, on his way to the title in Dublin.
“James could go all the way in the sport, it’s early days and it’s a very tough sport, but I think he has the ability to go all the way.”
Tonight, Fryers faces another durable Dubliner, Glen Murphy, and Nugent knows it will be anything but handy.
“James is up against a good one alright, Glen Murphy is no dozer and he’s in form too,” said Nugent.
“We know all about him, he stopped a very good lad, Christopher Rice, in a recent St Agnes’ club show and wee Ricey is a very useful kid.
“He used to be at the Mac, so I know how good he is. Murphy’s a bit of a brawler, he’ll be a handful alright.”
Young Liam McGuinness used to trade leather for west Belfast club Gleann, but moved to the Mac around a year ago.
“He’s a tidy, upright boxer and he’s coming on nicely at the club. I think the two lads are in with a shout against Dublin, they can put the Belfast team on the road to a victory,” added Nugent.
Youth Two light fly Paul Collins (St Agnes’) faces Dublin’s Sean Roche, while Dockers coach Paddy Fitzsimmons will be aiming for a win for his welterweight contender Ben McCourt, who meets Michael Kernan in the Intermediate 69kilos clash.

- The Ulster senior squad trials will continue at the Holy Trinity Gym, Turf Lodge on Sunday at 11am. All senior boxers and coaches are welcome. Any queries, please contact Michael Hawkins: 07713622353

TALE OF TWO CITIES FIGHT CARD
Glenpark, Ardoyne Avenue, Belfast, 8pm (Belfast team first):
B4 54kg: Anthony O’Rawe (Braid) v Alan Hughes
Y1 44kg:Joe Scullion (All Saints) v Shane O’Neill
Y1 57kg: Noel Adams (Gleann) v Michael Stokes
Y1 57kg: Enda Kennedy (Toome) v Michael McDonagh
Y1 69kg: Christian Griffith (Holy Family) v Mike Reilly
Y2 48kg: Paul Collins (St Agnes) v Sean Roche
Inter 54kg: Liam McGuinness (Immaculata) v Avan Bajalan
Inter 57kg: James Fryers (Immaculata) v Glen Murphy
Inter 63kg: Brian McSorley (Dockers) v Robert Murphy
Inter 69kg: Ben McCourt (Dockers) v Michael Kernan
 

Dublin fight back but Antrim edge to victory

Boxing: The Irish News Cup
By Eamonn O’Hara
13/06/2009
 

Shane O’Neill (left) of Dublin lands a left hand on the chin of All Saints’ Joel Scullion

Blue away: Shane O’Neill (left) of Dublin lands a left hand on the chin of All Saints’ Joel Scullion, representing Antrim, at last night’s Irish News Cup at the Glenpark Inn, Belfast. O’Neill won the bout 4-1. Picture: Gerard Black

 

GAVIN Keating, a former two-time U21 and Irish intermediate, pulled the scoring punches needed out of the bag in final two minutes, to spark Dublin’s second half revival last night.
St Saviour’s 20-year-old pocket dynamo produced a fiery, if sometimes rough and ready, fightback to overturn a 2-0 deficit to out-score Immaculata’s teenage Irish junior champion James Fryers by a whisker.
Keating’s 3-2 win followed a hard, untidy scrap, a late onslaught of pressure cancelling out the Corpus Christi College student’s cleaner work, particularly with rights over the top, during the opening two 57 kilo rounds.
It closed Belfast’s lead to 4-3 with three contests left on the bill, the 13th annual ‘Tale of Two Cities’ match sponsored by the Irish News.
Michael McDonagh of St Mary’s squared the inter-city clash in the next bout, coming on stronger in the last session to snatch a 4-3 victory over Toome featherweight Enda Kennedy.
Keating and McDonagh completed a hat-trick of results in Dublin’s favour, the other being delivered by St Saviour’s feather Anthony Byrne (3-1) over Toome’s Thomas Waite.
The comeback raised the excitement level for supporters after Belfast’s select had reeled off four wins back-to-back.
All Saints sharp and busy Neil McClurkin gave one of the more impressive displays on the night, winning his contest at 36kgs against Drimnagh’s Bernie Lawrence 6-1.
That drew the match level at 1-1 after Drimnagh’s Shane O’Neill took the 44kgs youth one opener 4-1 against Joel Scullion of All Saints.
McClurkin’s performance was followed by fine wins for Toome’s Ronan Devlin, beating Ronan Stokes 4-2, and Braid’s Anthony O’Rawe, who soaked up a battery of crunching left hooks to the body before edging Shane Roach 7-5.
This produced one of the tightest battles of the Glenpark promotion, Roach levelling the fight at 5-5 after two rounds. A draw would probably have been a fairer outcome, but as often appears the case, quality body punching did not pick up points.
O’Rawe’s win made it 4-1 to Belfast but it was a further four contests before the home turf talent gained another victory, achieved in terrific style by Gleann featherweight Noel Adams.
He was too fast and accurate for Martin Stokes, scoring an 8-3 win to leave Belfast needing two victories from the last three contests to take the Irish News Cup.
The 10th bout, matched at 59kgs, between Braid’s Stephen Richmond and Glen Murray, edged Harry Cunningham’s squad closer to the prize, with Ulster intermediate finalist Richmond beating Glen Murray 7-3.
Up to the plate, for a potential match-winning duel, arrived light-welterweight Brian McSorley of Dockers. At the end of the first against Drimnagh’s Robbie Murphy, the 19-year-old had one hand on the trophy, powering into a 5-0 lead.
Murphy took the second, but only 1-0, leaving him with a four-points hill to climb in the deciding third round. He gave it his all against his tiring opponent, but McSorley scrapped through for a 7-2 win to secure a Belfast win.

FRAMPTON RUTHLESS ON PRO DEBUT
CARL Frampton’s professional career got off to the perfect start after he secured a second round knockout against 19-year-old Hungarian Sandor Szinavel at the Olympia in Liverpool last night.
The 22-year-old was in control of the contest from the start and had his opponent on the canvas in the first round of their super-bantamweight contest.
The barrage of punches continued into the second round and the referee was forced to call time on the contest as Szinavel had no reply to the Belfast man’s jabs.
Frampton, who is trained by Holy Family’s Gerry Storey and managed by legendary Clones boxer Barry McGuigan, has been tipped as a potential British champion and will be hoping that this victory is the start of a long, unbeaten run.
“He was boxing well and he was strong,” said Storey. “His body punching was excellent. He was very impressive and it was a good start for him.”