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Allan Phelan – “We’re not waiting 27 months again!”

Allan Phelan [7(4)-2(1)-1] made his long-awaited return to the ring, and it seemed as though he had never been gone.

Injury and a lack of opportunities had seen the Kildare super feather have no fights for over two years, but he returned at the weekend on the Red Corner Promotions ‘Unfinished Business’ card at the National Stadium.

In what was his Irish debut, Phelan used his skills to comfortably outbox Nicaraguan Johnson Tellez over four rounds.

The delighted lilywhite told Irish-Boxing.com afterwards that “it was definitely worth the wait! It was worth the time. I just got in and did what the corner told me to do.”

“I listened and tried not to feed into the crowd and everybody else. I didn’t want to rush in on anything, I just took my time. I needed the rounds so I got the rounds in.”

Despite the long hiatus, Phelan felt comfortable during the comeback bout and described how “I wasn’t tired, I wanted to keep punching and moving. He was looping punches in, throwing weird shots, so I wanted to punch and move.”

“There was actually no ring rust! I thought there would have been but we did enough preparation in the gym. I felt good, I worked on what I was told to do and everything fell into place.”

Phelan wasn’t given an easy touch either, with Tellez constantly coming forward throughout, something which pleased the Newbridge boxer.

“He was very game,” said Phelan. “He wanted to come forward, throw big punches, and get the knockout. It was what I needed.”

Phelan now wants to stay busy, and joked that “we’re not waiting 27 months again! Hopefully we’re not even waiting 27 weeks, it’ll be more like 27 days!”

“I hope to stay active. Them 27 months were a long time off, I’ve had my rest, now the shoulder is one hundred percent, everything’s back to normal.

“The way I feel, I’ve never been better in my life with boxing and training and punching. The body is one hundred percent, I feel like I could get in and do another four rounds.”

Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)

Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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