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Patryk Adamus aims to challenge Kurt Walker for new Featherweight crown


The reduction of men’s weight classes for the next Olympic Games – should boxing be included – presents a lot of questions for Irish lightweights.

While both will remain in the Irish Elite Championships next February, lightweight (60kg) and light flyweight (49kg) have been struck off the Olympic roster to help facilitate an added two weights for women [featherweight and welterweight].

For Olympic hopeful light flyweights, the choice is simple – rise to flyweight – but at 60kg it is more of a dilemma. Boxers at the weight are considering either going up to light welterweight, which has dropped one kilo to 63kg, or moving down to 57kg to the returning featherweight class which replaces the 56kg bantamweight bracket.

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist James McGivern is one who is going up and most are expected to also take this route but one man making the way down is new Irish Senior [Intermediate] lightweight champion Patryk Adamus.

The Drimnagh destroyer claimed his second Irish title of the year on Friday night with a good win over Riverstown’s Martin Noonan and stated his intention to drop to featherweight afterwards.

“It’s a big jump,” he admitted to Irish-Boxing.com following his final win before outlining why he believes it will suit him.

“I’m quite comfortable at 60kg, I eat well, but now I’m going to have to drop a bit, I’m going to go down to 57kg.”

“The one kilo [between 56kg and 57kg] is a big difference, I’d walk around at 59.5kg, so dropping that 2.5kg isn’t going to be a problem.”

“I feel like I have the speed for featherweight and my power is going to be bigger as well because I’m going to be fighting smaller lads. The power will be there, the speed will be there, and I’m practicing on my technique every time. I’m always looking at what I’ve done wrong, what I can improve on.”

Should he enter at 57kg he will be joined in the class by recent EU bantamweight gold medallist Kurt Walker, the consensus favourite to lead the featherweight charge for Ireland towards Tokyo.

Adamus is not overawed by the Lisburn star who has also won European bronze and Commonwealth silver in recent years.

“He’s a very good lad but the plan is to put the challenge to him,” said Adamus confidently ahead of his attempt to become the first Irish Elite Men’s featherweight champion since Tyrone McCullagh.

Speaking after his win over Noonan, Adamus was happy with his performance in a fight in which he consciously looked to put on a show.

The physically strong fighter noted how “he was a tough lad who kept on coming forward. The strategy was to get in, use the jab in the first round, feel him out, and then start landing big shots from the second round on.”

“I didn’t want to get cut in the first round and get pulled out or whatever so that was the strategy – jab, jab, jab, then big shots.”

“I love performing, I love performing good and showing people that I have the ability to go around, show different types of boxing. It was enjoyable”

“I lost in the Seniors [Intermediates] last year in the final against a good lad and then I did the Under-22s and won them so this is my second title this year. It’s a good build-up for the Elites this year.”

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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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