Three massive Rio qualification dates on the horizon
By IABA Press Officer Bernard O’Neill
Three dates this month and next are building up toward key outings for Irish boxing in the race for places at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan, who between them have three Olympic medals, have three World Series of Boxing (WSB) matches left for Italia Thunder and a maximum of fifteen points to play for.
Steven Donnelly, who boxes with the Hussars of Poland, is also very much in the mix for a ticket for the 31st Olympiad.
Five points are awarded to boxers winning on a unanimous decision, KO or a TKO in the WSB. Boxers winning on a split decision earn four points, with one point going to the loser.
However, boxers claiming victory on a walkover or a disqualification earn just three points!
Click here for current WSB Individual ranking and here for Olympic quota places for WSB, AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) and AIBA Open Boxing (AOB) (regular amateur boxing) boxers.
The remaining three fights for Barnes and Conlan for Italia Thunder will almost certainly be at home – in Italy – to the USA Knockouts and the Argentina Condors on March 14th and 28th and away to the Venezuela Condors on the last weekend of the regular WSB group season on April 18th.
Conlan could meet Fransisco Martinez of the USA, who is in No. 1 position in the Individual rankings table, on March 14th in a key bantamweight battle.
The top ranked light-fly and the top two ranked bantamweights and welterweights (Steven Donnelly) at the end of the regular WSB season will qualify for Rio.
Donnelly, who has won two fights this season, will be in action for the Hussars versus Puerto Rico in Poland this Friday night. The All Saints BC ace is in third spot in the WSB Individual welterweight rankings table.
