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Two Former Champions Progress – National Elite Champions Day 1 Report

Four fighters progressed along the road to National Elite Championship success, as competitive amateur action returned in the National Stadium tonight.

There were prelim round wins for two champions in Sara Haghighat-Jo [54kg] and Jude Gallagher [57kg], as well as victories for former finalists Carol Coughlan and Teo Allen.

The first competitive fight to take place in the purpose-built stadium in over a year and the first National Elite contest since 2019 was an entertaining won by Monkstown’s Carol Coughlan.

The Carlow native set a high pace from the off and pressed the action from first to last bell to claim a preliminary round win.

Just back from having a child Crumlin’s underage graduate, Courtney Daly, a sister to the boxing Metcalfe brothers, showed flashes of the quality that made her a noteworthy underage operator but her opponent overwhelmed her and took a deserved unanimous win.

Former Elite finalist and Intermediate winner, Coughlan roared forward throughout, landed regular, and landed big. Indeed she was impressive to the point she was handed 10-8 rounds by two judges.

Three-time Canadian champ turned Irish Olympic hopeful Sara Haghighat-Jo showed her Paris credentials with victory soon after.

Haghighat-Jo looked the more cultured of the two early on in the first round, with Clodagh McComiskey appearing a threat in close quarters. However, as the round wore on and a quality Canadian jab started to take serious effect allowing Haghighat to land some hurtful backhands. One left hook, in particular, caught her opponent’s attention.

The second saw the Edenderry fighter apply real educated pressure with body and head work taking real effect. To her credit, Gilford’s McComiskey was still throwing but her bravery and willingness to fight left her open and Haghighat took full advantage for force a standing eight count.

The third followed a similar pattern as reigning champion Haghighat-jo showed real quality, forced a standing eight count, and registered a statement win of sorts in an entertaining aggressive fight.

As predicted the meeting of two fighters who picked up titles at separate weights and in separate 2019 Championships was tense, tight and full of quality.

Picking a clear winner of the first round of the 57kg bout was difficult. The Eric Donovan trained Jude Gallagher of Two Castles appeared the busier but Patryk Adamus of Drimnagh landed some of the bigger and cleaner shots.

The second was a bit scrappier and saw more close-quarters work, which seemed to suit Adamus’ approach and game plan.

Possibly sensing he needed the last, Gallagher came out fast in the final session and started well. He put his shots together and found a home for a crisp left hook. However, in keeping with the nature of the fight, Adamus had some success in the final minute to ensure the result readout would be tense.

The fight ultimately scored the way of two-weight champion hopeful Gallagher via a split decision.

The final fight of the night, a 60kg affair, was fundamentals versus flair battle and the flair of Teo Allen won out in the end.

While there was a difference in style there wasn’t a massive class difference and the fight was close enough as a result. A big right-hand midway through the first and the follow-up work probably earned Tyrone’s Allen the first. The hit and move advocate looked comfortable and confident in the second, showing his full array of skills.

The Cookstown fighter pressed forward early in the second and allowed Belfast’s Thomas McCann to show his counter punching ability but the St Paul’s fighter couldn’t turn the tide and Allen took the round on the majority of the scorecards en route to a unanimous points win.

Those handed walkovers tonight were St Mary’s Samuel Ilesanni in the 92+kg class, 80kg entrant Keelan Cassidy of Saviours Crystal, Dominic Bradley of Emerald A in the 60kg category and 57kg fighters Jordan Smith and Jake McMahon.

There are two-afternoon sessions tomorrow ad the following with the following fights:

Quarter-finals (12pm)

50kg Nicole Hayes (Togher) V Nicole Clyde (Antrim)
63.5kg Jordan Moore (Dublin Docklands) V John McConnell (Holy Trinity)
63.5kg Jamie Long (Muskerry) V Brandon McCarthy (St Michaels Athy)
63.5kg Nathan Richmond (Scorpion) W/O
63.5kg Jack McGivern (St Georges) W/O
67kg Wayne Kelly (Ballynacargy) V Eoghan Quinn (St Johns U)
67kg Evan Fitzgerald (Esker) V Damien Creaven (Olympic Galway)
67kg Michael Avetisian (Mulhuddart) V Kenneth Doyle (Monkstown D)
67kg Eugene McKeever (Holy Family) v Barry O ‘Connor 9Northside)
86kh Kane Tucker (Emerald A) V Darren O’Neill (Paulstown)

September 18th

QUARTER FINALS (4pm)

57kg Kurt Walker (Canal) V Adam Hession (Monivea)
57kg Bailey Marshall (Emerald A) V Sean Purcell (Saviours Crystal)
57kg Jake McMahon (Liberty) V Jordan Smith (Holy Family Drogheda)
92+kg Patrick Rogers (St Johns U) V Jack Divine (Springtown)
92+kg Gytis Lisinkas (Celtic Eagles) V Thomas Maughan (Cavan)
92+kg Kenneth Okungbowa (Athlone) V Martin Keenan (Rathkeale)
92+kg Phil Brophy (Angels) V Samuel Ilesanni (St Mary’s D)

Jonny Stapleton

Irish-boxing.com contributor for 15 years and editor for the past decade. Have been covering boxing for over 16 years and writing about sports for a living for over 20 years. Former Assistant Sports editor for the Gazette News Paper Group and former Tallaght Voice Sports Editor. Have had work published in publications around the world when working as a freelance journalist. Also co-founder of Junior Sports Media and Leinster Rugby PRO of the Year winner. email: editoririshboxing@gmail.com

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