After an absence of 13 years, skilled boxing will return to Donegal with a bang this weekend.
Elite Sheer, the present’s promoters, have landed an actual coup with former Irish beginner kingpin Joe Ward able to headline on the Aura Leisure Complicated in Letterkenny.
The Rumble In The Hills present is promising to be a knockout affair with Ward (9-1, 5KOs) set to face Prince Oko Nartey (11-1, 10KOs) over eight rounds.
Ward is a three-time European beginner gold medalist, who additionally received two silver and one bronze on the beginner World Championships and represented Eire on the 2016 Olympic Video games.
The Moate southpaw famously ended Kenny Egan’s decade of rule in 2011 and a harmful efficiency in opposition to the Neilstown man a yr later confirmed Ward’s standing as one in every of Eire’s rising new punchers.
Egan retired after defeat to Ward in 2013 on the identical evening Jason Quigley defeated Roy Sheahan to turn into Eire’s new middleweight champ.
Quigley and Ward had been medallists on the 2013 World Championships in Almaty, the place Quigley left with silver and Ward bronze.
Ward was a silver medallist two years later in Doha, the place world champion Julio César la Cruz from Cuba beat him a second time.
Quigley is behind this weekend’s present coming to Donegal – and is delighted to have his former Irish team-mate Ward main the cost as Donegal hosts its first present since Dungiven’s Paul McCloskey stopped Barry Morrison within the seventh spherical on the Aura to win the EBU European tremendous light-weight title in 2010.
“To have Joe Ward’s first combat in Eire right here in Donegal is one thing very particular and the undercard is stacked,” Quigley mentioned. “These lads all wish to push on and do massive issues as professionals.
Danny Bo
“It’s been too lengthy since we had massive time boxing in Donegal. “It’s nice to have skilled boxing again in Donegal. It’s completely huge. This can be a world class skilled boxing present.
“I’m delighted to have the chance to place skilled boxing again in Donegal once more. I’d adore it if this might begin one thing new, one thing contemporary, one thing for boxing within the county. A present like this may present younger boxers within the county what’s forward of them.
“It will probably encourage kids to provide it a correct go and once you’re doing that it’s essential to convey the fanbase alongside.”
‘Prince of God’ Nartey arrives in Eire having secured ten of his eleven victories inside the space, however Ward – who has by no means misplaced on an Irish canvas – needs to indicate that he belongs among the many world’s greatest gentle heavies.
“The Irish folks know what to anticipate from me – a ruthless efficiency,” Ward mentioned. “There are ranges on this sport. I imagine that I’m ranges forward. This can be a stepping stone for me to get to the very best gentle heavyweight on the earth.”
Ward has name-checked the likes of European gentle heavyweight champ Dan Azeez, IBO world gentle heavyweight title holder Lyndon Arthur and Joshua Buatsi as these in his crosshairs.
The 30-year-old mentioned: “I imagine that I’m higher than every one in every of them. I wish to stamp my authority now.”
London-based super-middleweight Danny Boyle (2-0-1) will get an opportunity to showcase on a house present in Donegal. The Dungloe puncher has virtually been pinching himself for the reason that chance turned a actuality.
“I can’t even say it’s a dream come true as a result of I by no means thought this might occur,” Boyle mentioned.
Rising Belfast ace James McGivern will function within the co-headline bout. ‘The Pure’, a Commonwealth Youth Video games gold and Commonwealth Video games bronze medallist challenges Josh Sandford for the Celtic light-weight title.
The Ormeau Highway man (7-0, 2KOs) meets unbeaten Scot Josh Sandford (6-0) and he mentioned: “I really feel like that is the beginning of it and there’s a buzz now. It seems like we’re beginning to construct one thing now.”
The Walsh brothers, Liam and Paddy, will look to construct their respective skilled information, whereas Commonwealth Video games bronze medallist Tyler Jolly is two-from-two as a professional and can convey his thrilling abilities to Donegal having crushed Vojtech Majer and Frank Madsen.
Galway heavyweight Jason Myers will make his professional debut and Navan super-feather Cain Lewis goals to take care of his unbeaten file.
Quigley mentioned: “The cardboard is stacked with unbelievable expertise. It’s essential to get native boxers on the native reveals. After we’re bringing this to Donegal, we felt that it was necessary to provide a Donegal boxer a crack on the present. Rising a fanbase from the roots up is important in boxing and this can do Danny Boyle the world of excellent. It will likely be sensible for the folks of Donegal to shout on one in every of their very own.”
The evening will get underway with two exhibition fights that includes rising beginner fighters – together with Raphoe Boxing Membership middleweight Cathal McLaughlin, who is about for a showdown with Stream Academy’s Cody Lee Peoples. The pair had been the crushed Elite Championship semi-finalists whereas McLaughlin just lately received the Irish Senior title.
Tickets are that can be purchased at: elitesportspromotions.com
Professional boxing again in Donegal with a bang this weekend was final modified: November fifteenth, 2023 by
