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Celtic Clash 8 – LIVE UNDERCARD UPDATES


We are in Belfast and ready to go at ‘Celtic Clash 8’

The third show in the city in eight days, we move out of the town centre to the Devenish Complex for Boxing Ireland’s return after six long years away.

The ‘Celtic Clash’ series has proved vital to boxing in Dublin over the last two years and it now returns to the venue where it all began with that epic Reynolds-Trainor war back in 2013.

Topping the bill is a Falls derby between lightweights Joe Fitzpatrick and Stephen Webb and there are a further seven fights on the undercard including three professional debuts.

Click here to see the full running order.

And click here to read tonight’s fight programme FOR FREE

Irish-Boxing.com will be ringside for the entire night and will be posting live round-by-round updates for each and every fight below so fans will not miss any of the patented Celtic Clash small hall excitement.

If you are in attendance, get involved by adding #CelticClash8 to your tweets and they will be included here

Keep refreshing page to see live updates.

10:17pm – And that concludes our coverage of the undercard here at Celtic Clash 8. Stay tuned for our on-the-bell report from the Joe Fitzpatrick v Stephen Webb main event.

10:16pm – 39-37 to Owen O’Neill. Massive noise here at the Devenish.

Round 4 – Fast start in the final round from O’Neill, upping the pressure and landing clubbing shots. Zulgis is being forced to fight and lands some sharp counters of his own but the massive support here aren’t likely to be disappointed.

Round 3 – Decent round for Zulgis who is making O’Neill miss. Big right hand on the bell.

Round 2 – ‘The Operator’ is operating at a nice pace, racketing in shots but Zulgis is better than the average Latvian.

Round 1 – O’Neill is raw but strong and lands some nice right hands in the opener.

9:50pm – Following a short intermission it’s time for the final fight of the undercard with North Belfast welter Owen O’Neill – who has sold a shed-load of tickets – up against Kristaps Zulgis in his professional debut.

9:35pm – 40-38 to Ciaran McVarnock – great fight and advertisement for small hall boxing.

Round 4 – Very good final round from McVarnock who looks to have weathered the Bazza storm, evading most of the Belfast Spartan’s tired work and landing plenty in return. Bazza is then hurt, claims a low blow but referee Paul McCullough waves fight on and McVarnock piles in. Bazza holds, then fights back and we brawl to the bell.

Round 3 – Bazza is relentless and manages to drag McVarnock into a war following a strong start for Bunty. Not sure how this is being scored going into the final round.

Round 2 – WAR in Belfast, both fighters are throwing non-stop, Sharper stuff coming from McVarnock who is also showing some nice movement but the thudding swings of Bazza can’t be discounted.

Round 1 – GREAT first round. Strong start from Bazza, landing some meaty right hands but McVarnock battles back. He was over half a stone lighter on the scales yesterday and will have to work hard here.

9:16pm – Fight #6 – Ciaran McVarnock v Alec Bazza – This will be good.

9:15pm – 40-36 to Aaron Gethins who toasts his new deal with Boxing Ireland Promotions with a win.

Round 4 – Plenty of play-acting from Chaudry but Gethins stays calm and rounds out the win.

Round 3 – Gethins methodical about his work – like a young, welterweight, southpaw Klitschko says Steve Wellings beside us here. Chaudry ain’t going anywhere but it’s good rounds for Gethins who has not fought since December.

Round 2 – Some solid shots in the second from Gethins and a momentary slip to the canvas for Chaudry but it’s ruled a slip.

Round 1 – Gethins comes in to the Fields of Athenry, haven’t heard that one before. Has Block Reynolds in the corner who, of course, topped the inaugural Celtic Clash bill. Fast hands to start from the Sligo southpaw but Chaudry is quite slippery.

8:52pm – Fight #5 – Aaron Gethins v Naheem Chaudry – 4 x 3mins welterweight.

8:51pm – 40-35 to Dominic Donegan. Fair play, very impressive debut by the Cavan man.

Round 4 – Donegan can bang and really goes for the finish in the final round, hurting Griffiths again with a right hand but the visitor survives to see the bell… just.

Round 3 – Eat your words Mr Mohan. Donegan has Griffiths down and hurt with a right hand at the start of the third. The crafty Englishman is up and looking to cling on… buzzed again by Donegan. This debut just came alive.

Round 2 – Liam Griffiths doing what Liam Griffiths does. “I’ve seen this fight eight times before” notes Dave Mohan beside us at ringside.

Round 1 – Quiet first round here. Donegan pushing but is being tied up by Griffiths at every opportunity.

8:30pm – Fight #4 – Dominic Donegan [pro debut] v Liam Griffiths – 4 x 3 mins super featherweight.

Round 3 – Referee Eamonn Magill puts Holman out of his misery and jumps in. TKO3 DOUGLAS!

Round 2 – Holman wincing as the bodyshots coming in, this can’t last much longer.

Round 1 – ALL Douglas in the opening round, punishing Holman’s body and the visitor’s sides are badly reddened already. Holman complaining of low blows but that is not the case, he’s struggling badly here.

8:11pm – Next up is the first professional debut of the night – Lurgan’s Jamie Douglas. The super feather is up against Kieran Holman over four.

8:10pm – 40-36 to Kelvin McDonald who improves to 2-0.

Round 4 – McDonald up on his toes here as Leach presses forward. A ‘Billy Joe’ thrown in for good measure. We go to the cards

Round 3 – Really opening up now. Fast start from McDonald but a strong finish from Leach as they trade to the bell. Going to be a buzzer of a final round.

Round 2 – McDonald keeps up the assault on Leach who is, somehow, sponsored by a tattoo parlour… maybe they are providing laser therapy. The Scouser does land a nice right hand and McDonald seems to be tiring slightly but his output is far, far greater here and he’s mixing in some nice bodywork too.

Round 1 – Leach has some of the worst tattoos ever seen in a Belfast boxing ring and, to make matters worse for him, he’s taking a lot of leather from McDonald who is showing fast hands.

7:50pm – Fight #2 – Kelvin McDonald v Ricky Leach – 4 x 3 super featherweight.

7:49pm – 40-36 to Julio Cesar to start the night off.

Round 4 – Blair has Cesar hurt at the start of the final round! But he can’t get him out of there and the African southpaw recovers and resumes popping out shots to the bell.

Round 3 – Cesar upping the pace and seems to have Blair a bit bothered but the Bangor man hits back with a big right hand.

Round 2 –  Cesar showing a bit more variety and keeping the pace up as Blair looks for that one big left hook.

Round 1 – Cesar on the offensive early but is caught with a little warning left hook from Blair. Cesar much the busier throughout and gets in one particularly nice right hand.

7:26pm – Fight #1 – Julio Cesar v Casey Blair – 4 x 3 minutes super middleweight. Battle of the journeymen. Will be good to see one of the lads get a win.

7:05pm – Big queue just about cleared. We are almost ready to go.

6:40pm – Running a bit late here…. but you knew that. Starting to fill up. Julio Cesar v Casey Blair starting at about 7:00pm we think.

6:25pm – Some good fights tonight. As always, looking forward to seeing what the debutants are about then McVarnock v Bazza and Cesar v Blair have the potential to catch fire.

6:10pm – Here we go, sitting ringside. Action due to begin at 6:30pm or so but it will probably be slightly later. Some last-minute changes to the bill too, Jake Hanney is out with a minour injury while Conor Doherty, sadly, has also seen his debut delayed once again due to a delay in getting his licence.

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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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