All-Irish title fight to headline next Red Corner card
The headline fight for the upcoming Red Corner Promotions ‘Champions Elect’ card has been revealed and it is a cracker.
The Saturday October 7th bill at the National Stadium in Dublin will be headlined by an eight-round BUI Celtic welterweight title fight between champion Noely Murphy [11(2)-0] and Stephen Carroll [7(1)-0].
Challenger Carroll confirmed the news on social media last night.
The battle of the undefeateds will see Cork 23 year old Murphy return from New York once again to defend the belt he won against Avelino Vazquez back in February. Since that win, the Lou DiBella-promoted prospect has claimed two further impressive eight-round wins in America.
25 year old Dubliner Carroll will be looking to take another big win. The Ballyfermot boxer won the Celtic Nations welterweight title last November in Belfast against Jamesy Gorman and went on the road to defend it against Scottish champion Eddie Doyle in March. That belt was subsequently put on the line in Boston on St Patrick’s Weekend, with Danny O’Connor defeating Donegal’s Michael McLaughlin Owen.
Carroll would later go six with journeyman Ferenc Jarko on the ‘Celtic Clash 2’ bill in May and had been scheduled to fight on ‘Celtic Clash 3’ in September but last week withdrew due to difficulties in committing to ‘full-time training.
The pair have previous, having met in the 67kg quarter finals at the 2012 National Intermediates. That night Murphy emerged a 14:9 winnner and would go on to win the tournament outright.
While the fight is set at welterweight (147lbs) it is assumed that both boxers will come in around the 142lbs mark.
The ‘Champions Elect’ card also features Irish champion Paddy McDonagh, debutant Karl Kelly, Jake Best, the return of Allan Phelan, Victor Rabei, a fight between super middleweights Vladimir Belujsky and Manny Bique, and a BUI Celtic title clash between Dublin’s Craig O’Brien and former Welsh champion Lee Churcher.