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Nerve-free Niall O’Connor faced with peculiar problem ahead of confident debut


It was the cheekiest of the Celtic Clash 3 debuts.

Niall O’Connor
[1(0)-0] certainly wanted to stand out on his pro bow. Indeed his attempts to please the crowd certainly didn’t please his corner with Tony Davitt often promising to pull him out if he didn’t ‘stop the messing.’

Some ringside felt the showboating worked and it certainly had some talking, but O’Connor wanted to leave his mark in a more aggressive manner.

The Ballybrack light welter want to stop Pal Olah, but despite dominatingm couldn’t poleaxe the Pole.

It left him somewhat rueful after the event.

“I wanted the stoppage to be honest. I wanted to stand out. In the first round the plan was to stay on the jab and keep composed, but I was landed the jab easy so I started to throw more shots,” he explained to Irish-Boxing.com.

“He was tough enough, but he didn’t throw much so I would have loved to got the stoppage.”

“When your’e in the dressing room after you do think the four rounds probably will stand to you, but I wanted to stand out with the stoppage.”

“The minute you put them eight ounces on you feel it, you know your going to hit harder, but he was tough fair play to him.”

There was a playful cocky air to the fighter who scored a shut out win. He certainly didn’t seem to be carrying any first fight nerves and admits at times he was more worried about not having butterflies.

“I was nervous about not being nervous,” he laughed.

“The whole day I was relaxed and It was starting to worry me, but then when I got the hands wrapped and start warming up thankfully that little buzz came.”

“I felt relaxed in there though,” he continued before hinting at what might be next.

“I think I am out again in November. It’s one fight at a time at the minute. That’s my mantra for now.”

Photo Credit: Laszlo Geczo Photography

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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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