Headline News

Eric Donovan to take on Welsh champion in Celtic Clash 3 headliner


The headline fight for the ‘Celtic Clash 3: Building Champions’ card next month has been confirmed.

Kildare featherweight Eric Donovan [4(3)-0] will top the bill at the National Stadium on Saturday September 9th.

Donovan’s opponent in Dublin will be reigning BBBoC Welsh champion Dai Davies [14(2)-25(12)-2].

It will be the second successive headline fight for the 32 year old Athy southpaw, who defeated Laszlo Horvath atop Celtic Clash 2, and the bout will have the BUI Celtic title on the line.

While Davies’s record may not be aesthetically pleasing, the Valleys fighter has a number of notable wins. He won the Welsh super featherweight title back in 2006 against Henry Jones before losing to Jamie Arthur and dropping down in weight to claim the 126lbs belt against former Frampton opponent Robbie Turley.

‘Dutters’ would lose the belt to Lee Selby in 2010 before reclaiming it against Paul Economides in 2012, before defending it in 2014 in a rematch with Turley – who would go on to claim the Commonwealth super bantamweight title.

The Methyr Tydfil 34 year old has Irish previous having been stopped by a then-debutant Martin Lindsay, outpointed by Dubliner Paul Hyland, and scoring a win over Marco McCullough.

Other names on his record include a points win over British super featherweight title challenger and English champion Andy Townend, a draw with former IBF bantamweight champion Jamie McDonnell, as well as losses to Jazza Dickens, Joe Murray, John Simpson, Stuart Hall, Kid Galahad, Marin Ward, John Kays, Kris Hughes, Jason Booth, Rendall Munroe, Derry Mathews, and Matthew Marsh.

Most recently he was stopped in the third round by Donovan target Reece Bellotti.

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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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