It all adds up for Irish champ Coveney

August 19 Jonny Stapleton

Maths has been the torment of many a leaving cert student over the last couple of days and a lack of ability in the subject also gave Micky Coveney a big scare in Mayo on Friday last.

The West Londoner went into the Irish West and claimed the Irish super featherweight title at Finbarr Eade’s expense in yet another all action Irish title fight.

However, whilst his boxing skills won the English fighter of Cork parentage his first pro title his numerical talents had him fearing defeat when the card was been read out.

“I have to admit I was worried, especially with my record of suffering home town decisions when it went to points. Then when I heard Eade 95 I was expecting to hear Mickey Coveney 94. Thank god it was Coveney 96. I am not the best at maths. Fair play the ref for being impartial,” Coveney joked after the fight.

The act of winning the title was no joke to Coveney, however. The pint sized battler, who has been on the wrong end of numerous close decisions, claims winning the Irish title is a dream come true.

Coveney now wants to come back and defend the strap and also intimated he wanted a rematch with Patrick Hyland.

“Full credit to Finbarr Eade he was fantastic, but I wanted this bad. It means so much to me this Irish title. I said it before and I will say it again it means as a much as winning a British title if not more. That is the first belt I won since I was 15. It means the world to me. I am cloud nine right now.

“I love coming here and fighting. There is such a crowd here and I know people like me out here. If you’ll have me back I’ll be back. When I turn up ill be fit on the weight and strong. I want to fight Patrick Hyland again. If I would have got the six weeks notice for that fight I got for this it would be a different fight. I don’t want to make excuses. Patrick is a good fighter, but last time I fought him I was winning. I tired at the end though because I struggled to make the weight.”

Coveney claims he often takes fights at short notice and stressed his performances are hampered accordingly.

The 29 year old, who also shared the ring with Stephen Ormond, Paul Appleby and Jamie Arthur, was grateful for the six weeks notice given by Brian Peters for his last outing and believes he needed the extra time to see off a determined Eade.

“I knew he was going to want it and be fit and strong so I trained double hard for this. He was a lot tougher then I expected though. He is 36 so I was thinking maybe I could start nicking it at the end but he was still there. I had six weeks to prepare. I never had more than two weeks to get ready in my life. Last week I was a pound off the weight and I could train for this fight. That preparation really helped. I can’t wait to come back here again.”