OFF – Duffy out of sensational prospect vs prospect all Irish Feile clash

The sensational out-of-the-blue all-Irish clash recently added to the Féile show is no more.

Ulster super featherweight prospects James McGivern [2(0)-0] and Sean Duffy [4(2)-0] will no longer meet at the Falls Park in Belfast on the Mick Conlan v TJ Doheny undercard.

Irish-boxing.com understands the bout is off as Duffy is unavailable to fight.

The news will come as a disappointment to fight fans, as the early days all Irish meeting was the bout that cemented the card’s status as one of the bests bills in recent memory.

The now-cancelled eight-rounder was to be a rematch of the 2017 Ulster lightweight final – won by McGivern who therefore qualified for the 2018 Commonwealth Games where he won bronze.

Keady destroyer Duffy turned pro in 2019 and has posted four wins up to now. Following an impressive stand-in win over Paul Holt in March, Duffy suggested a fight with managerial stablemate DP Carr was in the works but that never materialized and a mouth-watering clash with ‘The Natural’ was agreed.

Passing on a chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, McGivern stepped away from boxing as Irish #1 in 2020 before being enticed back to the pros. The Ormeau Road southpaw slickster debuted last August before impressing massively in December when dominating Jordan Ellison.

He was set to move up to eight rounds in just his third fight against the Harry Hawkins trained fighter but the hidden gem on a sparkling card is no more.

Irish-boxing.com understands McGivern, who seen a fight canceled earlier this year but still persevered through camp and weighed in like he was due to fight, will still populate the exciting card.

His fight with Duffy was set to open the TV portion of the card and he could still get airtime if a solid opponent is drafted in on time.

It is a blow but one that’s not too hurtful considering the card plays host to quite possibly the biggest all Irish fight in recent memory, as Michael Conlan and TJ Doheny trade leather.

The undercard also features a huge fight for Tyrone McKenna who challenges for the Kazakh’s WBO Inter-Continental light welterweight title, a WBC International Silver super-middleweight title fight between Padraig McCrory and Sergei Gorokov, and a tough comeback for Sean McComb v Craig Woodruff, a European bantamweight title defence from Scot Lee McGregor versus Frenchman Vincent Legrand, a very interesting fight against recent Tyrone McCullagh defeater Brett Fidoe as well as slots for Paddy Donovan and Fearghus Quinn.

The fight will be shown live in America on the ESPN+ app, with a broadcaster on this side of the Atlantic set to be confirmed shortly.