LIVE UPDATES – The Return
Pro boxing makes a welcome return to the National Stadium today.
The Elite Sheer link-up presents the aptly named ‘The Return’ card.
The bill is topped by Jason Quigley, who fights late replacement Gabor Gobrics over 10 rounds in his first fight since his world title defeat over a year ago.
On the undercard is Top Rank starlet Paddy Donovan, his younger brother Edward Donovan, Senan Kelly, Daniel O’Sullivan, the Walsh brothers Liam and Paddy as well as Belfast stylist James McGivern and Scott Tyler Jolly.
Irish-boxing.com are ringside and will be providing live updates.
FULL RUNNING ORDER:
(Keep refreshing the page to see live updates)
Daniel O’Sullivan vs Ruben Angulo
There was no Columbina KO but Daniel O’Sullivan did open the show in entertaining fashion.
The Celtic Warrior earned a deserved shut out 60-54 points over Ruben Angulo after six high-paced rounds.
The Dubliner looked at home despite moving away from more traditional journeyman opposition and showed enough to cement his status as a very welcome addition to the pro light middleweight ranks.
Indeed, there is no little doubt, O’Sullivan, who worked from first to last bell, will be in entertaining fights particularly when he moves up the ladder.
O’Sullivan pressed the action in the first round, walking the Columbian back to the ropes and letting shots go. The left hook to the body excited the crowd on a number of occasions and one uppercut through the guard widened Angulo’s eyes.
The Corduff fighter looked keen to move through the gears only for the corner to preach patience.
Angulo came to have a go in the second and O’Sullivan got exactly what he has been looking for since he turned over, a bit of fight.
The South American’s aggression meant ‘Daniel San’ could let his hands go more. The body punching was particularly impressing famed matchmaker Robert Diaz and there were signs Angulo might be starting to feel the pace.
The Celtic Warrior Gym fighter was smiling going back to his stool post the third, happy he got the better of a fast-paced round.
The Dub upped the pace somewhat and forced his opponent back with a solid jab. The tactic gave Angulo him rope burn across his back and allowed O’Sullivan to inflict pain around the sides to his opponents front. Although the Columbian was keeping the Pascal Collins trained fighter honest with some sneaking shots of his own.
Angulo felt a body shot early in the fourth, as O’Sullivan marauded forward with menace, but had enough about him to survive the round even after shipping a big right hand.
To his credit and seemingly to O’Sullivan’s delight Angulo was still there and throwing in the fifth. It lead to a somewhat entertaining round that was won by the Dub but not handed to him easily.
The final stanza saw O’Sullivan hurt his foe to the body once more but again Angulo managed to re-group and give a solid enough account of himself in the second half of the round. The away fighter landed one big right hand, bringing a smile to the red-corner fighter’s face but again it was a round were O’Sullivan, outworked, outthought and out fought the Columbian.
The win sees O’Sullivan improve to 3-0 while Angulo slips to 8-3.
Paddy Walsh vs Vojetch Hrdy
The Paddy Walsh party was over before it could really get started, not that his loud following minded.
The debutant, who came to the ring serenaded by the unmistakable Venga Boys classic ‘We Like To Party’, got the job done in less than a round.
The very very fresh-faced Vojtech Hrdy was sent to the canvas after an early Kerry flurry and instantly looked to his corner for help.
He beat the count but was reacquainted with the canvas within seconds as the same pressure from Walsh had the same result.
The not-so-hardy Hrdy looked to his coach again prompting referee Emile Tiedt to call a halt to proceedings 1:31 in, prompting loud celebrations and an embrace from coach Tony Davitt, who knows all too well about winning in the National Stadium ring.
Walsh gets a win on his record at the first time of asking and Hrdy slips to 1-2.
Tyler Jolly vs Vojtech Majer
Tyler Jolly came out of the blocks even faster than his Elite Sheer stablemate Walsh.
The Scot, who has Ricky Burns in his corner, let big shots fly from the off prompting Patrick O’Reachtagáin to come Majer’s rescue Just 22 seconds in.
Not a good night for the Vojtechs.
Majer’s record now reads 3-6, Jolly is off the mark and now a 1-0 fighter.
James McGivern vs Denis Bartos
Natural by name natural by nature.
James McGivern reminded the National Stadium faithful why there is a degree of hype about him with a brilliant first-round stoppage win.
The former amateur standout pulled out perfectly timed punches on three occasions in the first stanza to secure a second successive career knockout victory.
Bartos first hit the deck when an uppercut to the mid-rift he didn’t see caught him unawares.
The away fighter, who recently shared the ring with Campbell Hatton, rose to his feet and seem more confused than hurt.
His reaction was similarly shocked after an instinctive short hook put him on the seat of his pants soon after.
It was checkmate for the Czech within seconds, this time the 2-year-old St Georges BC graduate, whose last Stadium fight was a National Elite final win over George Bates, punished his tendency to duck with a short sharp lead hook.
Again Bartos was able to rise to his feet but David Irvine had seen enough and stopped the fight with 2:41 gone in the first round.
McGivern,who was meant to fight Tony McGylnn for the Celtic title on the card, now moves to 6-0 his opponent’s record now reads 10-7.
Senan Kelly vs Traycho Georgiev
Senan Kelly reminded Irish fans what he is all about with an impressive stoppage win at the home of Irish boxing.
Indeed, such was the performance from a fighter, who ended a two-year ring absence last month, fight fans were left excited by more than just his Palm Dale by Afroman ring walk.
Kelly was confident, assured, and aggressively polished as he figured out and stopped Traycho Georgiev to win his second fight in two weeks.
The ABC Management fighter had agreed to fight Irish Aussie Darragh Kelly on the card and was linked to Dylan Moran, who tops a Waterford bill this day next week, a stoppage win ala this one will only increase the desire to see him in domestic action.
There was a degree of figuring out to be done against a very tall and awkward switch hitter, but once Kelly found his range he began to land.
One slip right hand, some bodywork, and a huge left hook threatened a third successive first-round finish on the card.
The fight did make it to the second session, but it was clear another stoppage was incoming. The composed Kildare fighter stalked the Bulgarian and took full advantage when it was time to pounce.
A body shot dropped Georgeiv’s guard and paved the way for a leg-wobbling right hand. Sensing blood Kelly went for the kill and got it.
The win sees Kelly improve to 4-0, Georgiev is now a 2-4.
Edward Donovan vs Frank Madsen
Edward Donovan looked more than at home in a ring he won 10 Irish titles in when defeating Frank Madsen.
The Limerick fighter couldn’t quite stop the tough Tank in his tracks but was in control throughout to register a 60-55 win on his Irish debut.
The away fighter never really threatened to cause an upset but was stubborn and tough enough to give Donovan a solid six-round workout.
Indeed, such was the away fighter’s heart that he is an away corner fighter who would be welcomed back to test other Irish fighters.
The Dominator looked to dominate from the off pressing the action from early in the first round.
The Limerick fighter was entertainingly aggressive but had more than enough skill to keep the purists happy.
Showing a nice mix of fight and flair he hurt his opponent with all manner of shots, although the right uppercut to the body was whipped in with standout venom and accuracy.
The Treaty county fighter pushed forward with little respect for what his opponent had in the second. It meant he took a shot or two but was more than happy to do so to land big shots of his own. In fact, he was quite enjoying the fight.
The younger brother of Paddy Donovan – who fights later in the card – still picked some lovely shots, one uppercut nearly giving his opponent whiplash and a combination of hooks nearly sending Madsen to the floor.
The third round followed a similar pattern, although Madsen appeared happy that Donovan elected against going to the body as often, content to let his chin absorb punishment his body didn’t like.
A right hand right at the death did wobble the away fighter but there was not enough time for the Jonathan O’Brien-trained fighter to capitalize.
‘The Tank’ showed why he has never been stopped in the fourth session when taking an attack is the best form of defense approach.
The Danish-based Greenland native tried to put Donovan on the back foot in a bid to decrease the volume of punches that were sent his way. The fifth followed a similar pattern until Donovan found a distance he was comfortable working from and from where he peppered the away fighter from with neatly picked shots.
The sixth was the most entertaining of the fight, Madsen making Donovan work to till the final bell and earning the respect of the National Stadium in the process. In the final 30 seconds in particular he took some solid shots and although on unsteady legs kept walking forward.
Brett McGinty vs Patrik Fiala
Brett McGinty delighted his loud and loyal following with a by now trademark all-action display and win.
The St Johnstone fighter went at it with Patrick Fiala for six entertaining rounds and came away with a 58-56 points win.
McGinty started the fight as he finished his last pressing forward and letting his hands go. To his credit, Fiala held his ground and looked to make a fight of it. It led to an entertaining start, with McGinty doing better bodywork than anything ever seen on MTV’s Pimp My Ride and Fiala putting up stubborn resistance.
The pressure was continuous over three rounds as McGinty fought as McGinty does, on the front and looking to do damage.
Then just when it looked as if he was beginning to hurt his foe and could push for the finish he took a rare break, playing possum on the ropes in the fourth and handing some momentum to the Czech fighter.
Normal business resumed in the fifth with the Ricky Hatton-trained fighter applying the pressure and testing the chin, body, and heart of a fighter that has fought up as high as light heavyweight.
Again Fiala had enough about him to keep it competitive and as a result entertaining.
In the end the Donegal fighter came away with a points win, another solid six rounds and with his reputation as entertaining fighter to watch enhanced.
Paddy Donovan vs Luis Eduardo Borges Da Silva
It was a perfect 10 performance from Paddy Donovan as he pushed to 10-0.
The top-class Top Rank fighter was power and precision personified as he defeated the brilliantly named Luis Eduardo Borges Da Silva.
Donovan dropped the Brazilian four times in the first round en route to a seventh career stoppage.
The ‘Real Deal’ had the away fighter on the seat of his pants with the first shot he landed, a short right hook.
That lead southpaw hook his coach Andy Lee was famed for was on display again soon after, landingwith the same leg taking effect. The left hand was brought into play for the next knockdown, an uppercut to the solar plexus doing the damage this time.
The fourth and final knockdown came after another beautifully timed and instinctively thrown right hook.
This time Da Silva wasn’t allowed to continue and Donovan secured a first win as a pro in the Stadium.
Liam Walsh vs Michal Slavik
Liam Walsh sleighed Michal Slavik and some demons in the National Stadium tonight.
Ireland’s second-youngest fighter produced a mature display to make it back-to-back stoppage wins at the home of Irish boxing.
A home win was always on the cards and looked even more likely after Walsh dominated the first six minutes. However, obviously doing his homework and noting the Kerry fighter’s two draws came after his opponents looked to turn the tide from the third on, Slavik came out in the third looking to fight.
This time Walsh wasn’t going to allow a momentum shift and responded in kind, which eventually lead to a second successive stoppage win.
Walsh looked imposing from the off and it was clear to see he had the ability to hurt Slavik, particularly to the body.
In fact, he scored a first-round knockdown with a nicely timed rib tickler.
The 20-year-old worked the body so much in the second that the stanza resembled a body spar. However, it was a tactic that proved fruitful as it lead to a stoppage in the next session.
Slavik started the third fast but Walsh responded in kind and eventually had him retreating before finishing him off with a body shot.
Now it’s time for the main event!
