Devastating Defeat – Michael Conlan shocked and stopped in Belfast
Michael Conlan suffered a shock defeat in Belfast in Belfast tonight.
One of the great campaigners of Irish boxing was stopped by Jordan Gill in his home city.
The English fighter dropped Conlan in the second round, however, despite looking in trouble he made it to the third.
Indeed, he fought his way back into the fight but just when it looked like was about to take control he was hurt again and stopped on his feet.
Referee Howard Foster was forced to jump in and wave off the fight in round seven, sending a packed SSE into silence.
Considering it was billed as win or bust fight for the Irish star it remains to be seen what he does next.
The defeat is Conlan’s third and third by stoppage, meaning at the very least he faces a long rebuild.
Conlan started assured switch-hitting and showing lovely variety across the three minutes. However, he took a right hand that served as a warning on the bell.
A left hook dropped the Olympic medal winner early in the second and he looked on the verge of going after a right hand landed clean with a minute to go.
Fighting for his career, the Belfast favourite found his feet and was punching in the last 20 seconds, although another back hand on the bell sent him back to the corner on shaky legs.
The Irish fighter kept it simple to try and get passage back into the fight in the third and his lauded skills were on display when he picked a beautiful right hand and classy body shots.
However, he had to show real bravery again when a right hand from ‘The Thrill’, who had Leigh Wood as part of his team, landed flush.
Ireland’s only ever World Amateur Championships gold medal winner forced Gill to tuck up and retreat with an aggressive start to the fourth. Gill did respond and looked strong but Conlan took his big shots better and his superior skills looked enough to win him the round.
A left hook when Conlan switched to southpaw once more saw the Irish fighter stumble back early in the next stanza. The skills of the home fighter then took over and he picked shots from a distance from which he looked superior.
After rollicking from his corner Gill came out aggressively in the sixth and landed clean and big on the Belfast man. Yet just when it looked like he was about to retake control fought back and finished a brilliant round.
By that stage, it looked like he was numb to the power, but it was all over in the seventh. A left hand from Gill stiffened Conlan’s legs and The Thrill went for the kill, forcing Howard Foster to jump in.
