STEPHEN Ormond will return to the ring as early as July 5.

Just one month after making a successful homecoming the newly crowned WBF lightweight world champion is on the road again and will fight in the York Hall, London.

Ormond’s opponent has yet to be confirmed, but he will be content to be out again so soon.

Ormond, who hopes to fight again in Dublin, possibly against Oisin Fagan later in the Summer, will fight on an event headlined by Jennifer Retzke versus Mikaela Lauren for the IBF Light Middleweight Championship.

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By Jonny Stapleton

OLYMPIC Gold medal winner Katie Taylor is ready to work her way up the gears ahead of the up coming EU Championships.

Taylor world number 1 since 2006

Taylor, who was recently heralded as the ideal female action hero by Fast and Furious 6 star Michelle Rodriguez, may be the greatest female boxer on the planet, but she still feels the need to improve. And as a result has been working on adding power to the pace and panache she is already renowned for.

The four time EU champion returns to competitive action in Hungry next month for the first time since her sensational and historic London 2012 victory still hungry for success.

Female boxing’s poster girl hasn’t been basking in her Olympic triumph, rather  has been working hard to ensure she retains her EU title and her world number 1 status.

Taylor, who revealed her hand injury has cleared up, has been working with her Dad and coach Pete Taylor on adding more power to her shots and has even spent time sparing profesional men in world title hopeful Matthew Macklin’s MGM Gym in Spain.

“We’ve been working a lot on power over the last few months. That’s something we’ve been training for, and I feel I’m getting stronger all of the time. You always have to stay ahead of the pack. Everyone’s chasing my tail, I guess, at this stage. It’s important to stay one step ahead. You can’t stop improving. Otherwise, you are going to be beaten eventually.

There’s no such thing as a perfect boxer. There’s so many things I can improve on,” Taylor said before discussing her training in a professional gym.

“”It was brilliant. I went over for some warm weather training but it was raining for the first few days. I would have been better off staying at home. No, the set-up there is absolutely brilliant. I had a couple of great spars with some of the pros. It was a perfect few weeks for me.”

After winning all of the last 13 major competitions she entered Taylor has always been the one to beat, but after the adulation and notoriety afforded to her after the Olympics the target on her back has got that bit bigger. All the 60kg fighters will relish the chance to become the first fighter to beat the five time word champion in a major competition.Taylor is not only aware of that fact as EU Championships approach she relishes it.

And on a day when Ireland’s Golden Girl joined the likes of Golden Balls David Beckham, as Sky Sports Living for Sports Ambassador and discussed helping children fulfil the greatness they were born for, Taylor also revealed she still has the motivation to be the greatest in her field.

“This is what you train for, really. You always train for these big competitions. I love the big occasion. I’m really looking forward to getting back in and hopefully going home with another gold medal,” Taylor responded when asked about the upcoming EU’s.

“I think it’s going to be very, very tough.There’s no easy fights out there.

“It’s a nice challenge. (Being the one to beat) is something that motivates me, trying to stay one step ahead all the time. I’m looking forward to it. It’s the first major competition for me since the Olympic Games. It’s really, really exciting.”

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HE DIDN’T get the chance to land many punches on Amir Khan when his world title fight with the Bolton man was controversially cut short two years ago, but Paul McCloskey has launched another verbal assault on ‘King Khan’.

McCloskey was stopped by the doctor in the sixth round of his contest with Amir Khan in the MEN Arena in 2011 after receiving a cut over the eye

‘Dudey’ criticised Khan for comments made on Sky about wanting a match up with Pound for Pound King Floyd Mayweather.

Indeed, Derry native McCloskey found Khan’s remark laughable and took to twitter to say he felt the Golden Boy fighter would struggle with any of the top 147 pound fighters if he moved up in weight.

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MICHAEL Kelly wants to fight Kevin O’Hara for the Irish title in a proposed Dundalk show on July 12.

Kelly wants O’Hara return

Former Military Games World champion, Kelly stepped at late notice to trade leather with ‘Sweet Pea’ for the Celtic Warrior title in Belfast last week. Kelly lost on points in the City Hall hosted show, but having traveled to O’Hara’s home town for a title clash  wants the favour returned. The former Irish title challenger called for the former Ricky Burn’s opponent to fight him in his home town in July.

“I was man enough to take a fight in ‘Sweet Peas’ home town bill with three weeks notice lets see if he is man enough to fight me in my home town,” Kelly said before suggesting some gloves issues cost him the fight with former gym mate O’Hara.

“I am giving him 7 weeks notice. I got mugged last time out with the Magee gloves fiasco so lets settle the score.”

O’Hara and Kelly topped the bill in historic City Hall show

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By Jonny Stapleton

WILLIE Casey wants to prove he wasn’t just a one hit wonder and is determined to secure a place back at the top of the super bantamweight charts.

Casey wants to go out with a Big Bang

‘Big Bang’ exploded onto the scene with Prizefighter and European title victories back in 2010, but has faded out of the lime light since losing to the ‘greatest amateur of all time’ Guillermo Rigondeaux in a WBA interim World title fight in 2011.

The Limerick man has fought four times since his world title reverse, but his bout haven’t been on big cards and didn’t generate the same interest. More importantly he hasn’t fought at the level he desires and he hopes this year to return to major title fights. The Limerick southpaw fittingly wants to go out like he came in with a BANG.

“People still ask me when I am coming back from the ‘Rigo’ fight. They don’t know I fought since. I don’t want to end my career on a note like that. I m ready to fight and to finish up on a high. I want to prove I wasn’t just a flash in the pan. I am more than that 18 months of success and I am working hard and ready to prove I deserve to be at the top,” Casey told Irish-boxing.com.

Although the former European Champion is eager for a return to the top he wants to do it the ‘right way’.

The fighter, who has returned to Crumlin Gym to work with Phil Sutcliffe wants to rid himself of the rust built up by nigh on a year of inactivity before taking on the big name.

He knows he isn’t in the position to rebuff a big title fight, but has an ideal scenario in his head.

“The perfect situation would be one or two fights to get rid of the rust and then a big fight. If I get the notice I would have to take any fight now, but preferably I would like one or two outings,” Casey said before news of a possible Irish title fight with Marco McCullough broke.

“I never needed money to motivate me to train. I ask a lot of myself when I get in that boxing mind frame and I know if with time to train I can test anyone.”

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By Jonny Stapleton

KATIE Taylor heralded the Elite Irish Boxing Team as the best team in the country at present and backed them to prove it in the upcoming European Championships. 

Olympic medallists Paddy Barnes, John Joe Nevin, Michael Conlan and seven other team mates will part take in the 40th edition of the tournament, which begins in Minsk, Belarus on Saturday, June 1st. 

Taylor is confident her fellow High Performance fighters  will prove successful on the continental stage and once again prove boxing is Ireland’s most sucesful international sport. 

Indeed the Olympic gold medalist stressed so talented is the 10 man outfit that it contains fighters who will not be content just to medal, but will be targeting wining their respect weight categories out right. 

“It’s an amazing team. It’s the most successful team in the country, at the moment,” Taylor said yesterday. 

“Paddy Barnes a two-time bronze medallist at the Olympics, John-Joe Nevin, Michael Conlan…they all have the potential to come home with medals. It’s a very, very strong team.

“They’re all going over to win the gold medal. There’s no-one out there that they can’t beat. I think if they come home with anything less than gold, they’ll be disappointed.”

Taylor was speaking after being revealed as Ireland’s first Sky Sports Living for Sport Ambassador, a role she was delighted to officially accept yesterday.

“I am really looking forward to being part of Sky Sports Living for Sport. I know that sport really can make a difference and if I can use my experience to help young people in schools across Ireland to believe in sport and in themselves, then I’ll be thrilled. 

“I’ve worked with Sky before and it’s great to see them helping to improve the lives of young people in Ireland. I really hope lots of schools across the country will sign up and get involved”, she added.

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Bomber promises improved output in final eliminator rematch with Isaac Chilemba

Tony Bellew has vowed to overcome Isaac Chilemba’s spoiling tactics and land himself a shot at the WBC title when the pair rematch as chief support to Carl Froch’s blockbuster bout with Mikkel Kessler at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office in ‘Warriors’ Call’ in association with Betfair.

The Bomber and his South African rival drew their WBC light heavyweight final eliminator in Liverpool in March but agreed a quick rematch with the winner to face either Chad Dawson or Adonis Stevenson for the green belt.

Bellew has promised an improved performance this time around, and says Chilemba had no other option but to fight him again.

“I wanted the rematch straight away and he basically had nowhere to go,” said Bellew. “He is somebody who no-one wants to fight because at the end of the day Isaac Chilemba is in the ‘who-needs-you’ club because he doesn’t come to fight, he comes to make you miss and make you look bad.

“Ideally we match up very well and we match up to make a really, really great fight but you can’t force a guy to fight in that ring. To make a great fight happen it takes two to tango and it takes two guys who really want to have a fight. I am willing to play my part in it, it is whether he is willing to play his part.

“The real big difference on the night will be in my output and this time I am not going to stop after seven rounds, that is the top and bottom of it. I am not going to fall apart halfway through the fight.

“I didn’t perform last time, it is as simple as that. I did not perform to anywhere near the best of my ability or my potential and I was very disappointed in myself. While I still think I won, and he knows I won deep down, I still didn’t perform well enough and I am paying for that by having this rematch.”

The winner of Bellew v Chilemba II will become mandatory challenger for the WBC light heavyweight title, which Dawson defends against Stevenson in Canada on June 8 and Bellew believes the 30 year old will retain his title.

“I think Dawson is too clever for Stevenson,” said Bellew. “But Stevenson has an equaliser in that right hand; he can really, really punch.

“I am not looking too much into that fight, I will pay attention to that once I beat Chilemba, but my head says Dawson because he is at that level and has dealt with people at that level many times before but you can never write off a puncher and Stevenson is definitely, definitely a puncher.”

Bellew v Chilemba II is the chief support to Froch v Kessler on May 25 and is live on Sky Sports HD Box Office. Visit skysports.com/froch or call 08442 410888 for booking information.

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This and more in the Froch-Kessler special issue of Boxing News

Andre Ward told Boxing News magazine he thinks Carl Froch can stop Mikkel Kessler in their blockbuster super middleweight rematch at the O2 Arena on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports Box Office in ‘Warriors’ Call’ in association with Betfair.

Ward holds victories over both men but in a bumper preview issue of the weekly boxing bible, available today on the Boxing News app atboxingnewsonline.net/apps, the Oakland native – in London to commentate for HBO – believes that The Cobra has the edge over the Viking Warrior

“Carl Froch has been in some tough fights but I think he has more in the tank,” said Ward. “I think Kessler has kind of dipped a little bit since he and I fought, and even since he fought Froch the first time. Even though it’s going to be a tough fight, it’s going to be back and forth, I can’t see Kessler winning this.

“Kessler’s last two performances, he hasn’t fought the best guys – a shopworn Allan Green then Brian Magee who’s very tough but limited – and he’s going to look good against them but I don’t know if he has the same fire as when he fought Froch the first time. I would be shocked if Kessler got his hand raised. I think Froch wins and I wouldn’t be surprised if Froch caught and stopped him.”

Adonis Stevenson, previously the number one contender for Froch’s IBF crown and challenging Chad Dawson on June 8 for the WBC light heavyweight belt, predicted a 115-113 points win for the Nottingham hero.

That’s a verdict echoed by former Froch victim Glen Johnson, but the recently ousted WBO champ Arthur Abraham is edging towards Kessler to defeat Froch, and Boxing News editor Tris Dixon is expecting another great battle.

“Let’s not see this as anything but what it actually is; a fight between two big punchers with granite chins, real quality, balls the size of the O2 dome and hearts that are filled with the hopes of their significant fanbases,” said Dixon. “It’s the biggest fight we are likely to see in Britain this year and this week’s special edition of Boxing News reflects this as we have extensive interviews with both men, an in-depth preview, Joe Calzaghe’s analysis and inside knowledge from the respective training camps.”

This week’s Boxing News magazine hits the stands on Thursday and you can download the Boxing News app now atboxingnewsonline.net/apps to receive the digital edition today.

Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler on May 25 is live on Sky Sports HD Box Office in ‘Warriors’ Call’ in association with Betfair. Visit skysports.com/froch or call 08442 410888 for booking information.

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IRISH cruiserweights Stephen Reynolds and Conall Carmichael clash in County Mayo next month.

Reynolds to take on Carmichael in Castlebar

They meet in Castlebar on Saturday, June 8 on Assassin Promotion’s value-for-money 15-fight show that also includes Irish champions JJ and Paddy McDonagh, Anthony Cacace and heavyweight star Hughie Fury.

Both Reynolds and Carmichael were top-class amateurs.

Reynolds competed at two world amateur championships – his rivals included David Haye – and as a professional, he’s ranked among Ireland’s top-five cruiserweights after just two fights.

Carmichael lost just 10 of more than 100 amateur bouts and his match with Reynolds gives the Belfast doorman the chance to give his career a boost after his early exit from ‘Prizefighter’ on Saturday night.
Carmichael took too long to figure out Welsh southpaw Hari Miles in front of the Sky Sports cameras and was edged out on points after a close fight.

Darren Cruise is another former ‘Prizefighter’ in action on the show where he faces Alan Donnellan the Limerick based Galwayman who comes with a big-hitting reputation and their super-middleweight clash looks a make-or-break fight.

Cruise lost to JJ McDonagh in last year’s ‘Irish middleweights’ event and the 23 year-old from Castlerea also faces local opposition, Donnellan went down on points in a disputed decision in Belgium last week..

Kaz Evans and Charles Lane are the heads of Assassin Promotions and Evans said: “These are the sort of fights the fans want to see.

“They are 50-50 fights and because they are local derbies, both boxers will be giving 110 % to win. There’s everything to fight for.”

Gary Sweeney is another top talent in action on the show. He makes his professional debut having won silver at the European Youth championships in 2011 – and big brother Michael is also on the card.
Tickets are available from 087 6595567 or 094902203 or online at www.assassinboxing.co.uk

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EDDIE Hearn claims he would be tempted if some of Ireland’s top amateurs became available, but admits his sizeable stable means he isn’t in a position to offer them terms.

Two time Olympic medal winner Paddy Barnes once again reiterated his desire to go pro this week, while London 2012 bronze medallist Michael Colan would also turn over if the right offer was presented to him. Both would appeal to Matchroom boss Hearn, but his growing fighter base means he doesn’t feel like he could offer Irish fighters the kind of contract they need.

Carl Frampton’s promoter believes new fighters need up to 10 fights in their debut year and considering he runs just two Irish cards over 12 months he doesn’t feel he can provide that many fights for Barnes and co.

“I would be interested in Paddy Barnes and a few others. But when you are doing two shows in Belfast a year its a very difficult to give someone what they need. These kids need eight, nine or 10 fights a year. I have so many fighters I have to deliver for now I might not be able to provide that. We are always on the look out for good fighters but are maxed out.”

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