Byrne: Don’t Overlook Ryan v Donovan – It’s a Domestic Classic in the Making
Jay Byrne believes the Paul Ryan versus Edward Donovan clash hasn’t received the attention it deserves.
The Dublin and Limerick fighters meet at the National Stadium on October 10 in a clash that pits two decorated former amateurs against each other at professional level.
Both men are European underage medalists and meet in what is as close to a must-win clash as you can get.
Throw in the fact that the pair are friends, and the JB Promotions boss believes the fight has all the ingredients needed to cook up an Irish Fight of the Year contender.
“This fight is going under the radar,” Byrne told Irish-boxing.com, suggesting fans should be more excited about it.
“I don’t think it’s getting the props it deserves. It’s a massive fight.”
“It’s two lads with pedigree, with respect for each other, going in because it’s business,” he said. “It’s going to be an unreal fight and it will show how good the level is here.”
Byrne compared the lack of noise around the contest to how it would be received abroad.
“If this was in the UK, it would probably be selling out a bigger arena and be promoted massively,” he said. “But we’re only really catching the media attention in Ireland lately. It’s building and getting bigger, and fights like this show the standard in Ireland is extremely high at domestic level.”
The promoter has consistently spoken about wanting to raise standards and put on shows where the outcome is not a foregone conclusion, and Ryan versus Donovan, he argues, is the perfect example.
“These are the kind of fights fans want to see – where you genuinely don’t know who’s going to win,” he continued. “For me, it’s one of the best fights on the card.”
