Ticket Monster – Star in the making Kieran Molloy Breaks The Box Office

The West has awakened to the prospect of big-time boxing.

Promoter Jamie Conlan has revealed Conlan Boxing’s April 21st Galway Rising card sold out within three hours.

Indeed, such is the demand for tickets for the Kieran Molloy [4(3)-0] topped Salthill Leisure Centre hosted fight night that at one stage there was a 600-person waiting list fro tickets.

The former world title challenger, who now promotes and manages fighters, says it’s further proof of Molloy’s star potential as well as the thirst for boxing in the Connacht county.

Speaking to Irish-boxing.co fight maker formerly known as ‘The Mexican’, told Irish-boxing.com he was so impressed he is considering going back to the west in August, although he believes he may need a bigger venue.

“Kieran’s father said there are 600 people on a waiting list, it sold out in three hours,” said Conlan.

“We wanted to start at Kingfisher University but we couldn’t get a drinks licence in time, we would have had 3,000 in there, and we’d have done that easily.

“It just shows how much the west of Ireland has been starved of homegrown boxing. I think we will go again by the end of the year, we’ll potentially go again in August.”

Being able to top sold-out shows at home gives Molloy a degree of career power. It gives him clout and enables him to progress at a pace that suits pressure-free, something Conlan is glad about.

“We are still in the building block stage of his career, he is young, so we’ll take out time.”

That’s not to say they haven’t huge plans for the fighter and indeed his home county.

“We can build something big in Galway with Kieran. Galway can become a hub of Irish boxing.”

The older brother of May 27th world title challenger Michael Conlan also points out Molloy has the potential to become a boxing ‘superstar’.

The Belfast ‘wee man’ has always been big on the EU bronze medal winner but has been particularly effusive of his praise of late.

The former Commonwealth champion and fan favourite has been impressed with how the Angel Fernandez-trained welterweight competed over his debut year. In particular, Conlan was blown away with how he fared in sparring with former European champ and recent Terence Crawford opponent, David Avanesyan.

“I think Kieran Molloy could be a superstar,” he said after his win over Alexander Zeledon in Belfast on December 10th.

“I really do. He has a bit of everything. I watched his spars with David Avanesyan and they were 50-50 and it’s testament to Kieran the way he’s able to adapt and fight and mix it under supreme pressure.