Cut above Kieran Molloy moves to within one win of a European medal
Kieran Molloy made it a Saturday afternoon Galway double in somewhat strange circumstances in the European Under-22 Championships.
Molloy proved a cut above his Romanian opponent in the two mins the fight lasted to follow fellow Galway fighter Adam Hession into the quarter finals of the Continental competition.
Molloy’s second win in the Italy hosted tournament came at the expense of the unfortunate Eric Tudor of Romania.
The red corner fighter from Romania suffered a cut, forcing the ref to call a halt to proceedings with just 2:08 seconds of the first stanza gone.
After some deliberation the Tudor was deemed unfit to continue and the fight went to the scorecards with Molloy scored 4-1 winner, to register his 200th career win.
In fairness the 22-year-old looked to be winning the first round without having to move out of first gear and looked the most likely to secure victory at that stage.
Molloy will now box English top seed Mo Harris Akbar to guarantee a medal in Monday’s quarter-final.
There will be Irish interest in the evening session as a Monkstown big and little man go to work.
Sean Mari will look to build on his impressive International debut win over English starlet Hamza Mehmood when he fights Tokyo Olympian Cosmin Girleanu, while Jack Marley makes his senior debut against German Dariusz Lasotta in the heavyweight class.
2021 European U/22 Championships Roseto degli Abruzzi, Italy
June 17
Last 32
63kg Dean Clancy (Ireland) beat Pete Novak (Czech Republic) 5-0
69kg Kieran Molloy (Ireland) beat Dan Krotter (Germany) 4-1
June 18
Last 32
52kg Sean Mari (Ireland) beat Hamza Mahmood (England) 4-1
Last 16
51kg Niamh Earley (Ireland) lost to Romane Moulai (France) 4-1
63kg Dean Clancy (Ireland) beat Nenad Javanovic (Serbia) 5-0
75kg Gabriel Dossen (Ireland) lost to Moreno Fendero (France)
June 19
Last 16
52kg Sean Mari (Ireland) v Cosmin Girleanu (Romania)
56kg Adam Hession (Ireland) v Gabor Virban (Hungary)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Ireland) v Eric Tudor (Romania)
91kg Jack Marley (Ireland) v Dariusz Lasotta (Germany)
June 20th
Last 16
91kg+ Gytis Lisinskas (Ireland) v Vincenzo Fiaschetti (Italy)
Q/Final
60kg Ellie Mai-Gartland (Ireland) v Paige Richardson (England)
Irish squad
51kg Niamh Earley (Ryston)
60kg Ellie Mai-Gartland (Clonmel)
52kg Sean Mari (Monkstown)
56kg Adam Hession (Monivea)
63kg Dean Clancy (Sean McDermott)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard)
75kg Gabriel Dossen (Olympic)
81kg Kane Tucker (Emerald)
91kg Jack Marley (Monkstown
91kg+ Gytis Lisinskas (Celtic Eagles)
Team Manager: Tara Mari
Coaches: Eoin Pluck, Damain Kennedy, James Doyle
Physio: David Cooke