Noely Murphy to join Conlan on MSG card – Cork fighter takes on Top Rank’s ‘Prodigy’
Cork’s Noel Murphy [14(2)-1-1] has secured the chance to secure a massive breakthrough win before the year is out.
The fighter with strong ties to New York will appear on the massive December 14 Madison Square Garden hosted Top Rank promoted fight night.
25-year-old Murphy will appear on the undercard of the big pre Christmas triple header Bob Arum is calling the ‘card of the year’.
Macroom’s Murphy will fight on a bill with pound for pound Terence Crawford as he defends his WBO welterweight world title versus Egidijus Kavaliauskas, as well as a mouthwatering clash between Richard Commey and Teofimo Lopez.
The Rebel county fighter also adds further Irish interest to a card that includes the rebooked rematch between Belfast’s Michael Conlan and Vladimir Nikitin.
Conlan is expected to open the TV end of the show and will appear live on ESPN – but Murphy will most likely get ESPN+ air time.
It’s a massive platform for Kevin Crowley-managed boxer and the opponent he faces provides him with a massive chance to bring his career to the next level.
Top Rank prospect Josue Vargas [14(9)-1-1] will man the opposite corner, providing the former BUI Celtic title holder, who drops back down to light welterweight, with an opportunity to upset the applecart and take a step toward some big fights.
‘The Prodigy’ is highly rated by Top Rank and a host of boxing aficionados States side and should go into the clash with 15 wins to his name – he has a keep-busy fight scheduled for this weekend. His sole career blemish comes via DQ as he was disqualified for hitting Samuel Santana when his back was turned back in 2016.
The 21-year-old is unbeaten otherwise, but Team Murphy seem confident of causing an upset.
“It’s a done deal and Noel is ready to grab this opportunity with both hands,” the Cork fighters manager Kevin Crowley told Irish-Boxing.com.
“As soon as I offered him this fight his eyes lit up ,he can’t wait to fight alongside Terence Crawford, Teofimo Lopez, Richard Commey and of course Michael Conlan in Madison Square Garden.
“There will be a large Irish crowd there that night and we know Vargas, who is a Puerto Rican from the Bronx will bring a large crowd so the atmosphere will be great.
“Noel has already started camp in Cork with Tom Power and they are working well together. His last fight in Cork was good to get them used to each other again.”
Living in Woodlawn, Murphy was last seen headlining Cork’s first show in a decade where he outpointed Adam Mate after he couldn’t secure an opponent for a proposed Irish title fight.
He has had a breakthrough chance before, but was unlucky and even somewhat hard done by when he lost Mikkel LesPierre in February of 2018.
The Trinidad and Tobago fighter since went on to challenge Maurice Hooker for WBO light welterweight title this March but was unsuccessful, being widely outpointed.
