Irish super bantamweight’s on EBU red alert

by Jonny Stapleton

Ireland’s super bantamweight’s will be on Europe title and Kiko Martinez red alert after Rendel Munroe opted out of a continental battle with the Spaniard.

Martinez was due to defend his title against the fighting Bin Man, but the former EBU belt holder, who holds two wins over ‘Mini Tyson’, pulled out of purse bids for the bout and will instead pursue his world title dream.

The Leicester fighters decision to wave his mandatory right leaves the Alicante native free to make a voluntary defence.

Considering the three time European champion has significant Irish previous and the wealth of Irish super bantamweight talent a fight with an Irish contender seems very possible.

Indeed it is rumoured the knock out specialist, who had Bernard Dunne gone in 86 seconds and had continental clashes with Willie Casey and Carl Frampton fall through last minute, is on the hunt for a Irish pay day.

That bodes well for one of Frampton, Casey and Paulie Hyland who are all eligible to fight for the blue belt that once sat proudly around the waist of Bernard Dunne.

Barry McGuigan protégé Frampton would certainly be eager to take the fight. He was gutted when his chance to dethrone the Spaniard fell through last month. However the Commonwealth champion looks set to be on a Scott Quigg collision course.

It seems SKY want Europe’s most touted super bantamweights to collide and if Quigg defeats Jason Booth to take the British title this month The Jackal would most likely be set for a big domestic dust up.

Hyland, who lost out to Willie Casey in the first ever all Irish European title clash, would also be eager for the fight. The Tallaght stylist previously claimed once he registered two come back wins he would seek out the EBU champ, but it is possible Martinez may come looking for him.

Former champ Willie ‘Big Bang’ Casey, who team Martinez hold a bit of bad blood toward, maintains he never lost the belt and was targeting a New Year EBU tilt.

However, the southpaw’s three fights before Christmas plan was ruined after he had to postpone his Limerick comeback and the fighter, who turned a chance to fight Frampton for the European belt last month, would be willing to challenge.

“Willie would take that fight tomorrow,” manager Gary Hyde told www.irish-boxing.com “Willie wants to fight and he wants to fight the best. If the chance arose and we had good lead in time I know he would be mad for that fight. We have not been approached as yet and as it is we are looking at a few options to get Willie back in action soon. He wants another test after Daniel Kodjo. We tried Rendall Munroe but he said no and we are looking at other options.”