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“New Age Gladiator” Ray Moylette happy to learn from debut win

Ray Moylette [1(0)-0] admits he was nervous ahead of his professional debut last night in London, but the Mayo man embraced these pre-fight jitters ahead of his battle with Ivan Godor.

The Islandeady man debuted on an Assassin Boxing card at the Grand Connaught Rooms in a four rounder. Indeed Moylette, initially the chief support, ended up headlining the bill following the late withdrawal of Ben Jones.

In Godor he faced the reigning Slovakian champion, a man who has fought a number of top names (at much later stages in their careers), and a fighter who knows all about the so-called ‘dark arts.’

‘Sting Ray’ however stayed composed in the face of some rule-bending to claim a 40:34 win and get his pro career up and running in front of a large and loud Mayo support.

When asked if he had any pre-fight nerves going into the much-anticipated fight, Moylette told Irish-Boxing.com “definitely, first pro fight, big crowd, topping the bill, if you didn’t have nerves it wouldn’t mean that much, so that meant an awful lot to me.”

“I just said to my coach Martin [Brennan], who I’ve had over 300 amateur fights with, ‘Martin, I’m nervous here. He was delighted, he said that ‘that means you’re ready.’ It made sense, I was nervous because it did mean so much to me.”

“You’re going in the ring to fight, you’re a new-age gladiator, if you’re not nervous getting in the ring you’re in the wrong place.”

It was a very progressive debut opponent for Moylette, who hopes to be fast-tracked. The Celtic Warriors Gym man was happy with the matchmaking and noted that “it’s nearly a compliment that they put me in with such an experienced guy off the bat.”

“I definitely learned an awful lot from that fight – that I didn’t know I needed to learn. Little things, like dodging his head when it was there. He was using inside because I was hurting him inside, so a way out for him was to use his head. I didn’t to get drawn into that.”

Analysing the contest, Moylette explained that he boxed somewhat conservatively ahead of his American debut in Boston on St Patrick’s Weekend. He described how “I was a lot more patient than what people would have seen before. I didn’t need to go to war with a fella that was dangerous with his head. I hope to be out again in two weeks time and I didn’t need to go taking any risks.”

“Saying that, I would have loved to have taken him out with a good shot. I landed a few, but it was very hard to catch him clean. He’s a journeyman out and out, but he’s a good journeyman. The reason he’s had so many fights is because he doesn’t get hurt and because he doesn’t get hit clean. ”

Quotes courtesy of Rob Brennan.

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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