Jamie Conlan: Donagh Keary’s Defeat a Lesson, Not a Loss
Jamie Conlan believes Donagh Keary’s first professional defeat will prove a valuable education rather than a damaging setback as the Castlewellan prospect prepares to return on November 8 in Belfast.
Keary, who is back in action on the undercard of Teo Alin and Lee Gormley’s BUI Celtic title fight, saw his perfect start ended when he lost on the massive Crocker-Donovan II card.
While the reverse to Caine Singh was a disappointment, Conlan insists the experience will stand the 21-year-old in good stead.
Reflecting on that night, when speaking to Irish-boxing.com, the Conlan Boxing boss explained: “He fought the wrong fight, which can happen. He got drunk on his own success. I think he saw a finish in sight, and he wanted to go and put on a performance. He just punched himself out a wee bit. He just tried too hard in the first round, zapped his energy, and then Sing was able to just nip away.
“Listen, I scored a draw. I give Donagh the first and the third. I thought it was a very harsh decision, but that changes nothing.”
The former World title challenger was keen to stress that such a moment is part and parcel of the sport, particularly at the early stages of a career.
“It’s a small bump in the road. He’ll be back in November and get back to winning ways,” he said before stressing how important it is to get the young talent out as soon as possible.
“That’s the difference between boxing and team sports. When Liverpool get beaten 5-0, they’re out the next week and the next week after that. In boxing, when you have a bad night, you can dwell on it for weeks or months until you can get back out again. That’s the hard part.”
For Conlan, the defeat is not a loss but a lesson, and the quick turnaround ensures Keary can channel the experience positively. November 8 offers a chance to reset in front of a Belfast crowd and to prove the progress he has made.
“It’s about getting back to winning ways, showing he’s learned, and moving forward,” Conlan said. “It’s not the end of the road—it’s the start of him understanding what the road really is.”
