LIVE UPDATES – Breaking Ground
We are ringside in Salthill and ready to go for Breaking Ground, McEleney Promotions debut promotion.
The seven fight card is topped by Thomas O’Toole, has former World title challenger Luke Keeler in six round action, an Irish debut for Shauna O’Keefe, a step up in rounds for Cathal Crowley, a very interesting fight for Irish champion Colm Murphy, the return of Rhys Moran as well as Kate Radomska’s attempts to get back to winning ways.
Irish-Boxing.com will be filing live reports from each fight below.
Please refresh page to see live updates below:
FIGHT #1 Cathal Crowley vs Edgar Kemsky
Cathal Crowley made an entrance in leprechaun attire and found his pot gold in his fourth fight.
The Cork super middleweight navigated his first eight-rounder, winning on points and becoming title-eligible in the process. It was routine as you can get against away corner character Edgar Kemsky, who is full of antics, effort, and even kisses.
The Celtic Warrior Gym fighter eventually had his hand raised, beating the recent Senan Kelly and Lee Reeves opponent courtesy of an 80-72 scorecard.
The Rebel County puncher, who took an all-out war approach under the guidance of Spike O’Sullivan in his last two fights, was under constant orders to be patient by coach Paschal Collins. He did as he was told and boxed behind a jab, picking solid backhands when he pinned the Belfast-based Slovak back to the ropes.
Kemsky’s awkwardness, approach, and all-round toughness meant the stoppage didn’t come but team Crowley seemed more than happy they went eight rounds.
Figth #2 Kate Radomska v Klaudia Ferenczi
Kate Radomska returned to winning ways in the night’s second bout.
The Waterford Pole, who lost three step-up fights over the last year, was all action against Klaudia Ferenczi, threw punches from start to finish, and came away with a points win.
Radomska, who has her sights set on a Celtic Title fight next, had hoped for the stoppage against the fighter she fought and beat in her third fight – but stopping someone with 140 fights under their belt is never easy.
The win sees Radomska improve to 4-3.
Fight 3 Rhys Moran v Harry Matthews
Rhys Moran came into his very own song, rapped by his twin cousin, and wasn’t long about making the fight his own.
Fighting for the first time in nearly three years there was a bit of an easing your way back into proceedings but his amateur skillset was evident from early on and he a real physical presence.
Matthews is experienced and had enough about him to keep the Waterford man honest and his survival skills ensured he was never really in any trouble, as a result, he saw the final bell.
Moran came out with a shut-out 40-36 much to the delight of his vocal support.
The win sees Moran regain a winning record and finally allows him to put a defeat suffered in Belgium in 2021 behind.
FIGHT #5 Colm Murphy v Tampela Maharusi
Colm Murphy took another step toward a Commonwealth title fight with victory in a very entertaining eight-rounder.
As predicted [ particularly by our Joe on the Irish Boxing Insiders Podcast] Tampela Maharusi came to fight and is more importantly capable of fighting.
‘Posh Boy’ was winning the rounds and had the pull right hand down to perfection. However, the Tanzanian took them, was making him work, and even checked the Belfast favourites chin on occasion. The fifth round in particular caught fire with both featherweights landing big at different times in the stanza.
Ultimately the MHD fighter came away with a 79-73 victory, a valuable workout, and a lot more experience than he would have got against a more routine journeyman.
Mark Dunlop may now look to move Murphy toward a Commonwealth silver title.
FIGHT 6 Shauna O’Keefe v Angelika Oles
Shauna O’Keefe scored the first knockout of the night stopping Angelika Oles in eye-catching fashion on her home debut.
‘The Irish Hammer’ dropped the pole with a downstairs upstairs hook in the first round and guaranteed herself an early night with a possible Knockout of the Year contender.
A massive right hand in the third poleaxed the Pole. In fact so heavy was the knockout that there was a pause to see if Oles was ok before wild celebrations.
FIGHT 7 – Luke Keeler vs Godfrey Paulo Kamata
Luke Keeler registered a second win since his world title defeat and long layoff in Castlebar tonight.
The former Irish champion eventually stopped Godfrey Paulo Kamata in six.
The Tanzanian, who was squeezed in the shorts of featherweight stable mate Tampela Maharusi, looked ready to go on several occasions earlier in the fight- and the volume stoppage particularly looked on the cards in the third and fourth – but the fight managed to go make it into round six.
The talk in Castlebar is that a big fight could be next for the popular Ballyfermot fighter.
FIGHT 8 Thomas O’Toole v Hussein Itaba
Thomas O’Toole enjoyed a happy homecoming scoring a points win over Hussein Itaba in the McEleney promotions headliner.
As with the Tanzanians that preceded him, Itaba proved tough. He took left hands flush from start to finish without showing signs of going. O’Toole boxed within himself for the most part but did look to put it on the away fighter in the last two, much to the delight of the partisan crowd.
However, he wasn’t for folding and made it to the final bell.
It proved a good workout for ‘The Kid’, a free agent who will now weigh up his options before his next move.
