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Fearless Fleck hoping for international opportunity


Chloe Fleck has gone from just another fighter at the weight to the Irish champion and doesn’t want to stop there.

In recent months the young Lisburn light flyweight has got stronger and stronger and followed up her brilliant Ulster title win last month with an Irish Elite title on Saturday night.

Both finals saw her defeat Donna Barr but, even within a short few weeks, the Antrim avalanche seems to be getting better.

Fit, strong, and with a right hand that looks to hurt every time it lands, Fleck believes she can be a force internationally.

The Canal puncher has come a long way since her loss to Kristina O’Hara in the previous Ulsters which saw her miss out on the chance to go to the Commonwealth Games

“What a start to 2019, it’s my year, I’m telling you,” Fleck told Irish-Boxing.com following her win on Saturday night in Dublin.

“Ask anyone, six months ago, would I be Irish champion and they all would have said no. I’m laughing now.”

“I’ve beaten two fighters who’ve already beaten me and I’ve beaten Donna Barr who’s an unbelievable talent.”

Fleck claimed a 3-1 win on Saturday, forcing two counts in the third round and looked more in control throughout than during their dramatic Ulster decider.

She described how “I thought it was clearer, I definitely did better. I focused on what I had to do. I knew in there was going to be a tough fight and it was a tough fight.”

“As I said before, I wasn’t just going to go to spoil my work and I thought I did that brilliantly. Every time I was inside I was pushing her off and getting my shots in.”

“It’s strange, I never used to have power but since I’ve gotten that bit bigger I’m hitting hard with that right hand and I think it’s after winning me that title to be fair. Through all my fights it’s just been a continuous strong punch.”

“I’m happy with my performance overall, very happy with it.”

Now an Irish champion, Fleck has her eye on the European Championships and World Championships.

However, as she is not at an Olympic weight, the clubmate of EU champ Kurt Walker hasn’t allowed these dreams to become too fully formed.

“If they ask me to go, I’m going. It’d be an unbelievable experience,” she admits

“It’s an Olympic year though so I’m not going to huff and puff about it if I can’t go because they’re focused on the Olympic weights, I’m not stupid about that,” she added before stressing that she believes she is more than able to compete internationally.

“Donna Barr would be up at the top [internationally] so I think I’d mix well with them. I fear absolutely nobody.”

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

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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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