AmateurHeadline News

Irish fighters cause scares in Scotland


Irish pair Carl McDonald and Vladimir Belujsky caused serious scares tonight in Glasgow.

The Dublin super bantam and Cork super middle, on just 48 hours notice, both took fights with big Scottish names on the MTK Global bill at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.

The pair had been in training for fights in the near future, McDonald for a four rounder next week on the ‘Clash of the Titans’ bill in Dublin and Belujsky for a WBO Youth title versus James Kraft in Germany on April 13th and both came to win – and almost did so.

Alas, after big efforts, both were defeated on points after six rounds – McDonald controversially so.

‘The Cobra’ had three-weight British title challenger Iain Butcher down in the opening seconds, catching the Motherwell man square.

Butcher came back well in the second before a very strong third from McDonald really made things interesting.

With the Jobstown fighter, Irish champion at 122lbs, boxing well off the back foot, the fourth and fifth were close affairs.

The come-forward Butcher then started the final round at pace but was then kept at range by the skills of McDonald who looked to have perhaps pulled off a shock result.

It was not to be, though, with the referee scoring the bout 58-56 in favour of Butcher – meaning he gave just one round, the first, to McDonald, four to the home fighter, and one drawn.

The Tallaght man falls to 5(0)-3(0) following the harsh defeat.

Shortly afterwards, Mitchelstown’s Belujsky had former Commonwealth champ David Brophy rocking but was ultimately undone by the experience of the Caldercruix man.

Belujsky began well, landing thudding shots before Brophy, working hard, established a foothold in the second.

A sensational third saw ‘The Slovak Rebel’ hurt Brophy badly but he was unable to apply a finish.

To his credit, the Scot came back well in the fourth before hurting Belujsky in the fifth and really go through the gears in the sixth to seal the win.

Brophy was awarded the fight on a 59-55 scoreline, again quite harsh on the Irishman who drops to 6(6)-2(0)-1.

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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