LIVE UPDATES – Return of the Mick Undercard

Michael Conlan makes his pro Dublin debut in the 3Arena on Friday Night.

The Belfast star hopes to take another step along the road to a third world title shot when he fights Jack Bateson on top of a Wasserman bill.

The card also hosts plenty of added Irish interest as the likes of Dean Walsh, Cain Lewis, Kieran Molloy, Paul Loonam and Kian Hedderman all appear.

Senan Kelly faces potential breakout action against undefeated Brit Ben Marksby, while Kevin Cronin finds himself up against a tough English operator who will come with real ambition in Grant Dennis and Glen Byrne has been handed a tough late replacement in the form of southpaw Jacob Quinn.

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The card gloves off at 5pm. Irish-boxing.com are in the 3Arena and will be providing live updates.

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FIGHT 12

Kian Hedderman 181.36lbs vs Alexandru Crasnitchii 181.22lbs

It was as dream start for the Limerick Dream Kian Hedderman in Dublin tonight. 

The Treaty County man registered a mini statement win on his professional debut. 

Trading leather after midnight, Hedderman got the job done as early as he could, stopping durable opposition within two rounds. 

The Jason Quigley managed prospect dropped  German based Romanian Alexandru Crasnitchii twice in his first ever pro round, first with a beautifully executed right hand and then with a right hand of a more thudding nature. 

He maintain his 100 percet round knockdown ratio by reintroducing his opponent, who holds a winning record, to canvas 2 minutes into the second. This time the referee had seen enough and waved the fight off.

FIGHT 11

Paul Loonam increased his winning start on an emotional night for him and his family.

The Offally native fought for the first time without his late father in his corner and kept his composure to secure a sixth pro win.

The BUI Celtic champion win all six rounds in what was his second fight against Jake Pollard.

FIGHT 10

Dean Walsh 156.12lbs vs Jamil Elo 165.56lbs

Dean Walsh took a step closer to an Irish title fight with an impressive performance on the Return of the Mick card. 

Walsh dominated the way to brave for his own good Jamil Elo, showing all his class and talent en route to a fourth pro win. 

It initially appeared the Wexford man would follow in his manager Michael Conlan’s footsteps and emulate his performance in the fight proceeding. The former amateur of note seemed to hurt the Fin early and thus an early night looked on the cards. 

However, despite landing clean and big across the eight rounds, Elo managed to stay in there. In fact, he kept coming, kept throwing and kept shipping punishment across the 24 minutes. 

It got to the stage it was nigh on cruel on the away characther and the ref did threaten to step in on occassion. Ultimately it went the distance and Walsh to a shut out points win.

FIGHT EIGHT

Ben Marksby 140.9lbs vs Senan Kelly 139.4lbs

Not in the fashion he may have wanted but Senan Kelly did manage to breakout in Dublin tonight. 

The Kildare native didn’t defeat Ben Marksby in the 3Arena but proved he has outgrown the Irish domestic scene with a brilliant performance. 

The Irish champion pushed an undefeated Brit all the way, entertaining live on TV and in front of sizeable crowd on a big night for Dublin boxing. 

Indeed, such was the 29-year-old’s display in a tough and entertaining clash, he lost little in defeat. Kelly’s profile will have risen, as to, would the respect levels he’s viewed in. Not to mention he proved himself capable of British level operators and shouldn’t have to wait long for another opportunity. 

Kelly had big moments and big rounds across the 10 stanza bout but lost on the cards to the more fleet footed and accurate operator, suffering defeat for the first time in his career. 

Both boxers battled to get their jab off across a feeling out tough to score first. Neither out worked or out shot the other and neither looked phased at what they found in front of them.

Marksby, who sparred Pierce O’Leary in the build up, treid to get off first against the boxer with the crowd behind him in the second, but the JB Promotions man made sure not to allow the English fighter to wrestle thr ascendancy.

The Leixlip boxer then took the momentum for himself, as he closed the gap rolled in under a left hook and rattled his foe with a brilliant right hand. The Irish champ followed it up with a left hook and a temple shot seconds later inspiring the crowd to rise to their feet in the process.

Marksby attempted response early in the third but was put back on the back foot by another brilliant right hand. Producing career best form Kelly went on the front foot and started to dominate, punishing the high held chin of the Brit. 

The 39-year-old continued to stalk Marksby in the next and was happy to make it scrappy. The Wasserman man was showing why he was the bookies favourite going into the clash in moments and the blood dripping from Kelly’s eye seemed to give I’m a confidence boost. 

Although another right hand and continued pressure gave Kelly a shot of taking the round.

Irish success story, Kelly was a little too  patient over the next three. The Kildare man was making the promotion’s man miss but didn’t make him pay until the last few seconds of the session.  It allowed his opponent find rhythm and distance.

Kelly then closed the gap and followed the ‘let your hands go’ calls from the corner. The Irish titles holder landed some brilliant upper cuts and caused issues anytime he got in close. However in keeping with the tight nature of the fight Marksby had successes that would have impressed scoring referee Paul McCullaugh.

The seventh was a what you like round for the most part. The aggression and pressure of Kelly or the hit and move approach of the Darlington native.

As such it looked like a really hard round to score but a big right and and follow up flurry made it a Kelly session.

Kelly was the busier in the eight but Marksby held his feet more and landed some nice shots including a left hook in what was another entertaining clash on the card.

The home crowd were hoping the change of Marksby tact was due to the fact he hadn’t been beyond eight previously, territory Kelly has experience in.

However he started and finished sharp in the penultimate round. Yet true to the nature of the close encounter the Jay Byrne managed boxer had some joy, particularly with an up close left hook that rocked his opponents head.

There was a feeling it was all to play for going into the tenth and final round.

Serenaded by chorus of Ole Ole the Kildare man was back on the front foot working the body and clubbing in right hands. The Brit did have enough about him to respond and the stood toe to toe in the last 30 seconds. 

FIGHT SEVEN

Glenn Byrne 153.5lbs vs Jacob Quinn 155.3lbs

Glen Byrne both won and entertained on the big stage tonight. 

The Dubliner more ploughed through than stepped over the potential banana skin that was Jacob Quinn in a high octane action packed six rounds. 

Dealing with the disappointment of seeing his BUI Celtic title fight fall through as late as fight week, the JB Promotions man was handed a tough late replacement in the southpaw and reacted to both admirably.

Showing learnings from his Charly Lopez battle earlier this year and with no sign of a feeling sorry for himself, the 27-year-old claimed deserved 58-56 victory in another brilliant battle.

Quinn was competitive and asked questions but the Irish boxer had more by way of skill and will and took victory.

Quinn showed why many suggested he upset potential early on. He was certainly there to fight and came with plenty of ambition across the first round. However, that ambition was always going to be matched by a fired up Byrne who landed some crisp right hands and took an entertaining stanza. 

War threatened to break out in the second as both let their hands go. Quinn, whose only stoppage defeat came at the gloves of Pierce O’Leary, landed some left hands clean, but the JB Promotions man always had an answer and certainly seemed to be benefiting from the Lopez bout in terms of fitness and not allowing himself to retreat to the ropes.

The third threatened to follow into in similar fashion with both producing an impressive output. However, the cleaner work was coming from the boxer with Pete Taylor in his corner. That cleaner work and a strength advantage eventually enabled Byrne to take over. The late to the game boxer was able to get into close quarters against the late replacement and opened a cut on his tricky foe. 

The English boxer managed to find a second wind in a fight the crowd were really invested in as stanza four came around. However, two big right hands in succession made sure Byrne, who brought the heat for the majority of the three minutes, made an impression.

The volume of punches and work rate of both continued high up the scale in the penulatime round. The away fighter was still full of effort and industry, but still the cleaner work came from the younger brother of Jay Byrne and he made sure he always had response for the southpaws good moment. 

It was clear both fighters felt the fight was up for grabs going into the last and both emptied the tank. Both also threw and took leather across the stanza with Byrne pipping it courtesy of the fact he was forcing the action.

FIGHT SIX

Kieran Molloy 146.62lbs vs Nourdeen Toure 147.58lbs

Kieran Molloy put to good use some sparring with Lewis Croker in Dublin tonight. 

The former amateur of note put the disapointment of not getting to fight in Galway’s Pearse Stadium behind him with an impressive win in the 3Arena. 

Making his pro Dublin debut the welterweight, who camped alongside ‘The Croc’ in Dubai, stopped Nourdeen Toure, ramping up the atmosphere in the process. 

Well aware of his opponent reputation for being awkward, Molloy spent the first round computing his Finish based Ghanian foe. He looked relaxed and took the stanza comfortably as he assed his at times wild foe. 

It didn’t take him long to find the answer to the equation that was Toure as a long left hand tested the chin of his opponent before scoring a knockdown. As the round progressed he tried to faint Toure into a more ambitious approach so he could punish him some more.

The approach paid dividend in the third as the Galway favourite walked his foe onto a Andy Lee styled southpaw lead hook, forcing him to touch down again. Sensing blood the Connacht man went for the kill and eventually forced David Irving to step in and call a halt to proceedings.

A sixth stoppage in 11 wins for the free agent.

FIGHT FIVE

Charlie Edwards 114.76lbs vs Salvador Juarez 116.5lbs

Former World Champion Charlie Edwards outclassed and out pointed Salvador Juarez.

The English fighter claimed the WBC International super flyweight title to take a step back into world title contention.

FIGHT FOUR

Cain Lewis 125.9lbs vs Erick Omar Lopez 124.86

Cain Lewis moved to within one win of double figures and potentially champion status in the 3Arena tonight. 

The featherweight prospect, who is hoping for a BUI Celtic title fight next, crammed eight rounds of work across four action-packed stanzas, as  Erick Omar Lopez came exactly as advertised. 

The little Mexican with a big heart pressed forward for the majority of the fight and took some well-executed flurries clean without wilting in what was an ideal workout for the 22-year-old Irish boxer.

It was apparent Lewis was going to have to earn his win from the off. He was impressive across the first three minutes with tidy combinations coming off a solid jab. However, the man from Mexico, who broke a duck egg last time out, came with ambition and marched forward soldier-style. 

That ambition remained in the second stanza, but the Navan welcomed it, the accurate fighter picking shots and enjoying his work. He started to land well-picked uppercuts and again, his combination punching was impressive. 

The third followed a similar pattern, only for the battle hardened Mexican to start to feel the effects of the former underage amateur standouts’ work as the stanza drew to a close. 

However, Lopez has only been stopped in 30 defeats and wasn’t planning on doubling that record. The Vernon Carroll-trained fighter did manage to force Lopez back to the ropes and tested the dominant Mexican’s chin, but had to settle for impressive points win rather than a statement stoppage.

FIGHT THREE

Kevin Cronin 168.2lbs vs Grant Dennis 169.2lbs

Kevin Cronin will return to domestic action on the back of a career-best win

The Kingdom Warrior delivered on his promise to entertain and impress as he defeated Grant Dennis in the first Irish fight of the card.

The 29-year-old veteran of four domestic title fights was favoured to defeat Dennis, but the manner of the win was eye-catching. 

The Michael Conlan-managed super middleweight was aggressive from first to last bell. He fought at a high pace, throughout, and showed real variety and thought to his work en route to a 59-55 points win. 

The ever-entertaining battler now sets his sights on a Kerry-Cork battle and an October 10 meeting with Cathal Crowley. 

The Kerry man started well, took centre ring and got a solid jab into play, before opening up in the later stages of the stanza.

The experienced Dennis, who fought Caoimhin Agyarko in the same 3Arena ring, did have moments, particularly with the right hand. 

The Kingdom Warrior increased both tempo and variety as early as the second, landing upstairs and downstairs across three fast-paced minutes. 

The English fighter was still showing why he was deemed a relative test in flashes, but Cronin looked untroubled. Indeed, he seemed to be troubling his foe, and well-worked lefts to the body seemed to hurt the away corner man. 

The 29-year-old Jonathan Lewins trained fighter, moved up another gear in the third, marching forward with little fear of what may come back. 

It got to the stage where it looked like he may have bullied the fight out of the well-travelled ‘Go Getter’, although the English boxer used all his know-how to prevent an onslaught in the fourth. Then, just when it looked like Cronin might try and force a stoppage, the more experienced of the two got a second wind.

The former Southern Area champion landed two great right hands and looked to push the Munster man back in the final minute of the stanza. However, as if just to reassert his dominance, Cronin fed his opponent some right-handed leather. 

The Irish side of the bout was back on the front foot in the final round and began to land big against the teak tough Kent 41-year-old. 

To his credit, Dennis wasn’t going to buckle, but like he did throughout the fight, he made sure the stanza was an entertaining one.

FIGHT TWO

Dan Toward 155.4lbs vs Khalid Ennachat 156.34lbs

Dan Toward survives a late scare to secure another win. 

The Newcastle native looked in control and very comfortable throughout, but shipped a shot in the final round and had to survive a late onslaught from Khalid Ennachat. 

Toward moves to 7-1 courtesy of a 79-74 card.

FIGHT ONE

Codie Smith 129.6lbs vs Mario Vera 130.3lbs

Codie Smith eases to victory in the cards forst fight. 

The 21-year-old shuts out Mario Vera over six rounds to claim a seventh pro points win and improve his record to 7-0-1.

The English fighter did push for the stoppage in the last round but had to settle for comfortable 60-54 points win.