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Massive weekend ahead for Irish Boxing

It’s a huge weekend for Irish boxing, with TWO shows taking place in Belfast, TWO pro debuts in London, and a featuring role in what is sure to be one of the highest-grossing pay-per-views of the year.

Starting us off on Friday night [March 3rd] at the Devenish Complex is the inaugural Ginley Promotions show – ‘Dust Up at the Devenish.’ The card features seven MTK fighters and is one of the highest quality small hall line-ups in recent memory.

On the bill are:
– Dublin heavyweight Sean ‘Big Sexy’ Turner [9(6)-0]
– Belfast middleweight Alfredo Meli [12(3)-0-1]
– Dublin lightweight Steve Ormond [23(12)-3(1)]
– Derry super bantamweight Tyrone McCullagh [5(4)-0]
– Belfast featherweight Ciaran McVarnock [6(1)-0-1]
– Dublin cruiserweight Ian Tims [11(3)-3(2)]
– Belfast light welterweight Anto Upton [13(5)-1(0)]

Tickets for Dust Up at The Devenish cost £35 (unreserved) and £65 (ringside) and are available from the boxers on the bill or promoter Mark Ginley.

Also on Friday night, across the water in Scotland, Stephen Carroll [5(1)-0] makes a big step up at the AlonA Hotel in Motherwell. The Dublin light welter has stepped up at short notice and will defend his Celtic Nations belt against headliner, home favourite, and Scottish champion Eddie Doyle over eight rounds.

On this same card there are run-outs for Belfast journeymen Jamesy Gorman and Alec Bazza, who take on JP McGuiness and Darren DaPrato respectively.

Back in Belfast on Saturday night, Alio Wilton continues his resurgence with another show at the Shorts Sports and Social Centre.

The card on the Holywood Road is a five-fight affair and features:
– Belfast welterweight Matthew Wilton [14(3)-0]
– Belfast super flyweight Luke Wilton [16(7)-5(2)-1]
– Bangor light middleweight Casey Blair [4(0)-22(3)]
– Belfast welterweight Tony Nellins [3(0)-0]
– Lurgan middleweight Ryan Greene [6(1)-1(1)]

The bill also features eight amateur bouts.

Tickets cost £30 and are available from the boxers involved. The running order of the card will facilitate a live showing of the Sky pay-per-view between David Haye and Tony Bellew.

Speaking of the Haye-Bellew card, there is another prominent pay-per-view slot here for Bray lightweight Katie Taylor [2(1)-0], who takes on Italian Monca Gentili over six rounds at about 8:30pm.

Also in London on Saturday night, there is a professional debut for Mayo amateur legend Ray Moylette. The Islandeady light welter makes his paid bow on a Assassin Boxing dinner show at the Grand Connaught Rooms. On this same bill there is also a debut for the Slovak Rebel – Mitchelstown middleweight Vladimir Belujsky.

In terms of the Wild Geese, Tideswell-Drogheda middleweight Tommy Carter [1(0)-4(2)] fights home favourite Steven Mennell in Leeds on Friday night. Then on Saturday night there is a big MTK dinner card in Manchester, with Barrow-Galway light heavy Liam Conroy [11(3)-3(1)-1] fighting for the BBBoC Northern Area title against Steve Cooper while Wythenshawe-Carlow light middle Jimmy Kelly [19(7)-1(1)] is also in action. Also on Saturday, on the same card that Moylette and Belujsky fight on, there is an appearance for Florida-born youngster Bobby Gunn Jr [8(6)-0].

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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