Ken Egan had his hand raised in victory after Darren Cruise was retired at the end of the third round of their light heavyweight final at the IABAs Open Senior Competition at the National Stadium in Dublin tonight.

Egan, a silver medal winner at the the Beijing Olympics, was 15-1 up when the fight was stopped.

Meanwhile, Irish light welterweight champ Philip Sutcliffe beat 2008 Olympian John Joe Joyce 21-6 in a thrilling 64Kg final.

European bronze medalist Ross Hickey reversed the  decision from Februarys Irish senior 60Kg final with Eric Donovan after recording a narrow 4-3 win over the St Michael's Athy man.

And European Union heavyweight champ Con Sheehan impressed in his 11-4 win Conal Carmichael.

The IABA are using the Open Senior Competition as part of their selection process for the AIBA World Championships which begin in Milan on September 1st.

More to follow.

Open Senior Competition National Stadium Dublin Finals July 17th

(Scores at end of first two rounds in brackets)

48Kg:Paddy Barnes (Holy Family) W/O

51Kg:Conor Ahern (Baldoyle) beat  Ruairi Dalton (Holy Trinity) 12-4 (5-0,7-2)

54Kg:John Joe Nevin (Cavan) W/O

57Kg:Sean Kilroy (Holy Family Drogheda) lost to Tyrone McCullagh (Illies GG) 0-7 (0-1, 0-3)

60Kg:Eric Donovan (St Michael's Athy) lost to  Ross Hickey (Grangecon) 3-4  (1-0,2-2)

64Kg:John Joe Joyce (St Michael's Athy) lost to Philip Sutcliffe (Crumlin) (2-5,4-10) 6-21

69Kg:Adam Nolan (Bray/Garda) lost to Roy Sheahan (St Michael's Athy) (2-2,3-3) c/b 6-6, 1-4

75Kg:David Joyce (St Michael's Athy) beat Stephen O'Reilly (Twinstown) 7-4 (2-1,4-3)

81Kg:Darren Cruise (Crumlin) lost to  Ken Egan (Neilstown) (1-6,1-15) RET3

91Kg:Conal Carmichael (Holy Trinity) lost to  Con Sheehan (Clonmel) (2-3,3-4) 4-11

91+Kg:Chris Devanney (St Joesphs) lost to Cathal McMonagle (Holy Trinity) (1-5,2-8) 2-12

Box Off (European Juniors)

75Kg: David Joe Joyce (St Michael's Athy) beat CR Cummins (Clonoe) W/O

Ken Egan will be seeking to maintain his remarkable 10 year plus unbeaten run in Irish competition at the National Stadium in Dublin tonight.

Egan, a silver medal winner at the 29th Olympiad in Beijing and a nine times Irish senior champ, meets fellow Dubliner Darren Cruise in tonight's light heavyweight final at the Open Senior Competition,

The last time Egan was beaten in Irish competition was in May 1999 when he dropped an 11-8 light middleweight decision to Paul Dormer of the Paulstown club in Kilkenny.

Cruise is one of two Crumlin clubmen in action tonight as reigning light welterweight champion Philip Sutcliffe will meet  2008 Olympian John Joe Joyce in the 64Kg decider.

This meeting is a repeat of last Februarys Irish senior final which Sutcliffe won after a sensational first round stoppage - twelve months after he was stopped by Joyce on the now defunct 20 point rule in the 2008 semi final.

Meanwhile, Joyce's St Michael's Athy team-mate Eric Donovan faces Ross Hickey in a repeat of February's lightweight final which Donovan won.

European Union and Irish champion Con Sheehan will fly the flag for Munster.

The big Clonmel man goes head-to-head with Conal Carmichael.

Egan, Sutcliffe, Donovan and Sheehan are the four current Irish senior champions in action.

Former Irish senior champs, Conor Ahern, Roy Sheahan and Cathal McMonagle will also be between the ropes.

Three Holy Trinity men, Ruairi Dalton, Carmichael and McMonagle represent the Belfast club.

Reigning Irish middleweight and welterweight champions Darren O'Neill and Willie McLaughlin withdrew from the tournament after picking up injuries at last months EU Championships in Denmark.

Beijing bronze medalist Paddy Barnes and his 2008 Olympics team-mate John Joe Nevin, the reigning Irish light flyweight and bantamweight champions, have both received walkovers.

Boxing begins at 7.30pm tonight.

*The IABA are using the Open Senior Competition to help with their selection process for Septembers AIBA World Senior Championships in Milan, Italy.*

Open Senior Competition National Stadium Dublin  Finals July 17th

48Kg:(Light flyweight) Paddy Barnes (Holy Family) W/O

51Kg: (Flyweight) Conor Ahern (Baldoyle) v Ruairi Dalton (Holy Trinity)

54Kg: Bantamweight) John Joe Nevin (Cavan) W/O

57Kg: (Featherweight) Sean Kilroy (Holy Family Drogheda) v Tyrone McCullagh (Illies GG)

60Kg:(Lightweight) Eric Donovan (St Michael's Athy) v Ross Hickey (Grangecon)

64Kg:(Light welter) John Joe Joyce (St Michael's Athy) v Philip Sutcliffe (Crumlin)

69Kg:(Welterweight) Adam Nolan (Bray/Garda) v Roy Sheahan (St Michael's Athy)

75Kg:(Middleweight) David Joyce (St Michael's Athy) v Stephen O'Reilly (Twinstown)

81Kg:(Light heavyweigh) Darren Cruise (Crumlin) v Ken Egan (Neilstown)

91Kg:(Heavyweight) Conal Carmichael (Holy Trinity) v Con Sheehan (Clonmel)

91+Kg:(Super heavyweight) Chris Devanney (St Joesphs) v Cathal McMonagle (Holy Trinity)

Support Bout

74Kg: David Joyce (St Michael's Athy) v CR Cummins (Clonoe)

The weigh-in for Fridays Open Senior Finals will be held between 8am and 9am at the National Stadium  on Friday morning. Boxing begins at 7.30pm that evening. The weekends deciders will feature nine finals in total, including two repeats of last Februarys senior finals between Eric Donovan and Ross Hickey and John Joe Joyceand Philip Sutcliffe.

Beijing silver medalist Ken Egan meets Sutcliffes Crumlin team-mate Darren Cruise at light heavyweight.

The Open Senior Competition is being used to help the IABA with their selection process for the 2009 AIBA World Senior Championshipsin Italy.

The AIBA World Senior Championships begin in Milan on September 1st.

Katie Taylor maintained one of the most consistent runs in World amateur boxing after claiming gold at the Russian Multi Nations at the Sports Palace in St Petersburg today.

The World and European champion chalked up her 39th victory in a row - and her 60th win in the last 61 bouts - after beating Russian lightweight Natalie Bondareva 6-3.

Bondereva was obliged to take two standing counts in the first round of today's 60Kg final.

Meantime, Taylor, who boxes out of the Bray BC, also scooped the best technical boxer award.

Today's win marks the fourth time in a row that the 23 year old Irish woman has beaten an opponent from the host nation in their own backyard.

Taylor scored 59 points and conceded 20 in four bouts in four days in St Petersburg.

Bondareva was the second Russian opponent she beat at the Sports Palace this week.

The Irish team will arrived home via Dublin Airport at 7.45pm tomorrow evening.

Irish squad

60Kg: Katie Taylor

Coaches: Peter Taylor & Pat Ryan

Beijing silver medalist Ken Egan booked his ticket into the semi finals of the IABA Open Senior Competition following a 12-6 decision over his fellow Dubliner Brendan Fitzpatrick at the National Stadium in Dublin tonight.

But 2008 European Championships bronze medalist Eamon O'Kane is out after he was beaten on a double count-back by Luke Keeler.

Roy Sheahan also needed a double count-back to win at the expense of Niall Murray in a welterweight battle royale at IABA headquarters.

Donegal's Stephen O'Reilly registered one of the most impressive wins of the evening, a 16-3 triumph over Stuart Edgeworth.

And Tipperary heavyweight Con Sheehan, the current European Union and Irish champion, beat Tom Sheehan 9-2.

The IABA are using the Open Senior Competition as part of their selection process for the AIBA World Senior Championships which gloves off in Milan on September 1st.

There will be two semi finals sessions tomorrow beginning at 3pm and 7.30pm.

The finals will be held next Friday night.

Quarter Final Results Friday July 10th (7.30pm)

60Kg: Ciaran Bates (St Mary's) lost to  Ross Hickey (Grangecon) W/0

69Kg: Shane Murtagh (Crumlin) lost to  Graham Hogan (Crumlin) 3-5

69Kg: Fergal Redmond (Arklow) lost to  Adam Nolan (Bray) RSCI3

69Kg: Tom Blaney (Westside) beat Rory O'Donoghue (Riverstown) 9-2

69Kg: Niall Murray (Gorey) lost to Roy Sheahan (St Michael's Athy) 6-6, c/b13-13,0-5

75Kg: Stephen O'Reilly (Twinstown) beat Stuart Edgeworth (Edenmore) 16-3

75Kg: Eamon O'Kane (Immaculata) lost to  Luke Keeler (St Matthews) 2-2, c/b 5-5, 1-4

81Kg: Denis Hogan (Grangecon) beat Richard Beel (St Michael's New Ross) RSC3

81Kg: Brendan Fitzpatrick (West Finglas) lost to  Ken Egan (Neilstown) 6-12

91Kg: Tom Sheehan (St Michael's Athy) lost to Con Sheehan (Clonmel) 2-9

Semi Finals July 11th (3pm)

51Kg: Danny Coughlan (St Anne's) v Conor Ahern (Baldoyle)

51Kg: Ruairi Dalton (Holy Trinity) v Declan Geraghty (Dublin Docklands)

57Kg: David Oliver Joyce (St Michael's Athy) v Tyrone McCullagh (Illies GG)

64Kg: John Joe Joyce (St Michael's Athy) v John Murray (Gorey)

64Kg: Matt Connery (Springhill) v Philip Sutcliffe (Crumlin)

81Kg: Tom Roohan ( St Joesphs) v Darren Cruise (Crumlin)

91Kg: Conal Carmichal (Holy Trinity) v Mike McDonagh (Olympic)

91+Kg: Martin Sweeney (Dunboyne) v Chris Devanney (St Joesphs)

91+Kg: Garreth Smith (Crumlin) v Cathal McMonagle (Holy Trinity)

Semi Finals July 11th (7.30pm)

60Kg: 69Kg: 75Kg: 81Kg: 91Kg

Katie Taylor  is through to the 60Kg final at the Russian Multi Nations following her third win in three days in St Petersburg today.

The World lightweight champion beat Alexandra Siderenko of the Ukraine 26-11 in this afternoons semi final at the Sports Palace.

She will now face Russian puncher Natalie Bondareva in tomorrows final after maintaining one of the most consistent runs in world amateur boxing.

Taylor lead 6-0 at the end of the first round, 9-2 at the end of second and 16-8 at the end of the third before adding ten points to her total in the fourth and final frame.

Bondareva will be the second Russian opponent that Taylor has met in St Petersburg this week.

July 8th: Last 16

60Kg: Katie Taylor (Ireland) beat Dong Cheng (China) 10-2

July 9th: Quarter Final

60Kg: Katie Taylor (Ireland) beat Ayzanet Gadzhieva (Russia) 17-4

July 10th: Semi Final

60Kg: Katie Taylor (Ireland) beat Alexandra Sidorenko (Ukraine) 26-11

July 11th: Final

60Kg: Katie Taylor (Ireland) v Natalie Bondareva (Russia)

Irish squad

60Kg: Katie Taylor

Coaches: Peter Taylor & Pat Ryan

Ken Egan, a silver medal winner at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, will be in action at the National Stadium in Dublin tonight versus Brendan Fitzpatrick in an all Dublin light heavyweight derby.

Both men meet in one of ten quarter finals in an Open Senior Competition at the home of Irish boxing.

The IABA are running the tournament to help with their selection process for the AIBA World Senior Championships in Milan in September.

Meantime, AIBA World Youth champion Ray Moylette will meet Irish senior champion Eric Donovan in tomorrow nights lightweight semi final.

Tonight's meeting with Fitzpatrick, who boxes out of the West Finglas club, will be Egan's first bout at the National Stadium since he won an historic ninth Irish senior title in a row at the venue earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Paddy Barnes, a bronze medal winner at the 2008 Olympics, and John Joe Nevin, who reached the last 16 in Beijing, have received walkovers.

European Union champion Con Sheehan, and European Championships bronze medalists Ross Hickey and Eamon O'Kane will also be in action this evening.

Boxing begins at 7.30pm tonight. There will be two semi finals sessions tomorrow beginning at 3pm and 7.30pm.

The finals will be held next Friday night.

Quarter Final Draw Friday July 10th (7.30pm)

60Kg: Ciaran Bates (St Mary's) v Ross Hickey (Grangecon)

69Kg: Shane Murtagh (Crumlin) v Graham Hogan (Crumlin)

69Kg: Fergal Redmond (Arklow) v Adam Nolan (Bray)

69Kg: Tom Blaney (Westside) v Rory O'Donoghue (Riverstown)

69Kg: Niall Murray (Gorey) v Roy Sheahan (St Michael's Athy)

75Kg: Stephen O'Reilly (Twinstown) v Stuart Edgeworth (Edenmore)

75Kg: Eamon O'Kane (Immaculata) v Luke Keeler (St Matthews)

81Kg: Denis Hogan (Grangecon) v Richard Beel (St Michael's New Ross)

81Kg: Brendan Fitzpatrick (West Finglas) v Ken Egan (Neilstown)

91Kg: Tom Sheehan (St Michael's Athy) v Con Sheehan (Clonmel)

Semi Finals July 11th (3pm)

51Kg: Danny Coughlan (St Anne's) v Conor Ahern (Baldoyle)

51Kg: Ruairi Dalton (Holy Trinity) v Declan Geraghty (Dublin Docklands)

57Kg: David Oliver Joyce (St Michael's Athy) v Tyrone McCullagh (Illies GG)

64Kg: John Joe Joyce (St Michael's Athy) v John Murray (Gorey)

64Kg: Matt Connery (Springhill) v Philip Sutcliffe (Crumlin)

81Kg: Tom Roohan ( St Joesphs) v Darren Cruise (Crumlin)

91Kg: Conal Carmichal (Holy Trinity) v Mike McDonagh (Olympic)

91+Kg: Martin Sweeney (Dunboyne) v Chris Devanney (St Joesphs)

91+Kg: Garreth Smith (Crumlin) v Cathal McMonagle (Holy Trinity)

Semi Finals July 11th (7.30pm)

60Kg: 69Kg: 75Kg: 81Kg: 91Kg

Katie Taylor is through to the semi finals of the Russian Multi Nations following a 17-4 last eight win over Russian lightweight Ayzanet Gadzhieva at the Sports Palace in St Petersburg tonight.

The victory, achieved over four two minute rounds, was the Bray woman's 37th in a row over the last three years.

Taylor was leading 7-0 at the end of the first round, 8-1 at the end of the second and 12-4 at the end of the third in this repeat of the 2008 AIBA World

lightweight semi final which Taylor won 20-2 in Ningbo City, China last November.

The World and European champion meets Alexandra Sidorenko of the Ukraine in Fridays semi final in St Petersburg.

Taylor beat Sidorenko 12-2 in the preliminary rounds of the Ahmet Cup in Istanbul, Turkey in May.

July 8th: Last 16

60Kg: Katie Taylor (Ireland) beat Dong Cheng (China) 10-2

July 9th: Quarter Final

60Kg: Katie Taylor (Ireland) beat Ayzanet Gadzhieva (Russia) 17-4

July 10th: Semi Final

60Kg: Katie Taylor (Ireland) v Alexandra Sidorenko (Ukraine)

Irish squad

60Kg: Katie Taylor

Coaches: Peter Taylor & Pat Ryan

R&J: Ann Moore

Donegal welterweight Willie McLaughlin is a major injury doubt for this weekends Open Senior Competition at the National Stadium in Dublin.

The IABA are using the box-off, which gloves off this Friday night, as part of their selection process for Septembers AIBA World Senior Championships in Milan.

But Irish senior champion McLaughlin, from the Illies GG club in Donegal, may have to sit out the deciders after picking up a rib injury at the European Union Championships in Denmark last month.

The Ulster man, who claimed silver in Denmark, looked to be on the road to recovery from the knock but exacerbated the injury in sparring last week.

Dependant on entries, the Open Seniors will be run over the next two weekends with boxing scheduled for this Friday and Saturday.

There will be no seeding at the tournament, which will mean that Olympic silver medalist Ken Egan could be drawn against anyone of six opponents from the opening bell.

Hughie Joyce, Brendan Fitzpatrick, Darren Cruise, Mark Carlyle, Tom Roohan, and Denis Hogan will be gunning for the nine times Irish senior champion.

However, the light welterweight division may provide most of the fireworks as reigning senior champion Phil Sutcliffe is expected to come under strong pressure from 2008 Olympian John Joe Joyce for the 64Kg vest.

Sutcliffe, from the Crumlin club in Dublin, caused the sensation of the Irish Senior Championships last February when he stopped Joyce in the first round of their final.

Sutcliffe's fans certainly enjoyed that shock as they were dancing around the Stadium in celebration. However, Joyce, stopped Sutcliffe on the 20 point rule in the 2008 semi final.

The middleweight section also contains the potential for a repeat of a 2009 Irish senior final in the shape of current champion Darren O'Neill and Stephen O'Reilly.

And lightweight champion Eric Donovan may have to see off the challenge of AIBA World Youth champion Ray Moylette or 2008 European Championships bronze medalist Ross Hickey to stake his claim for a place on the Milan team.

Reigning senior champions taking part: 51Kg: Declan Geraghty. 54Kg: John Joe Nevin. 60Kg Eric Donovan. 64Kg: Philip Sutcliffe. 75Kg: Darren O'Neill. 81Kg: Ken Egan.91Kg: Con Sheehan.

Meanwhile, a record breaking 113 nations have entered the 2009 AIBA World Senior Championships, which will be held from  September 1 to September 12 in Milan.

 http://www.aiba.org/en-US/news/ozqsp/newsId/2291/news.aspx

Entries so far:

51Kg: Conor Ahern (Baldoyle),Declan Geraghty (Dublin Docklands)

54Kg: Matt Connery (Springhill), John Joe Nevin (Cavan), David Nevin (Holy Family, Drogheda)

57Kg: Mark McCullagh (Cairn Lodge), Sean Kilroy (Holy Family, Drogheda), David Oliver Joyce (St Michael's Athy)

60Kg: Ray Moylette (St Anne's), Kieran Bates (St Mary's). Ross Hickey (Grangecon), Eric Donovan (St Michael's Athy)

64Kg: Danny Coughlan (St Anne's), John Joe Joyce (St Michael's Athy), Philip Sutcliffe (Crumlin), Jamie Kavanagh (Crumlin) John Murray (Gorey)

69Kg: Jamie Dowlling (Paulstown), Roy Sheahan (St Michael's Athy), Sean Hunt (St Matthews), Graham Hogan (Crumlin), Shane Murtagh (Crumlin), Tom Blaney (Westside), Adrian Nolan (Bray), Niall Murray (Gorey), Fregal Redmond (Arklow)

75Kg: Darren O'Neill (Paulstown), Luke Keeler (St Matthews), Stephen O'Reilly (Twinstown), John Sweeney (St Joesphs) Stuart Edgeworth (Edenmore)

81Kg: Ken Egan (Neilstown), Hughie Joyce (St Michael's Athy), Darren Cruise (Crumlin), Mark Carlyle (Crumlin), Tom Roohan (St Joesphs) Debis Higan (Grangecon)

91Kg: Danny Tourish (Twinstown), Con Sheenan (Clonmel), Tommy Sheahan (St Michael's Athy)

91+Kg: Martin Sweeney (Drimnagh), Garrett Smith (Crumlin), Chris Devaney (St Joesphs)