Walsh and O’Reilly chosen for Olympic Qualifier
Following a week of observation at their training camp in Azerbaijan, Zaur Antia has chose Dean Walsh and Michael O’Reilly to represent Ireland at the AOB World Olympic qualifiers in Baku next week.
Light welterweight Walsh fought off competition from bitter rival Ray Moylette and Sean McComb who had moved up from lightweight, while middleweight O’Reilly was chosen above rising Newry star Conor Wallace.
Moylette and Wallace were initially penciled in for box offs with the two reigning Irish champs with the winner of each bout getting an Olympic life -line, however the IABA changed their mind and elected to monitor the four fighters, plus McComb, over a longer period of time and behind closed doors.
Irish-boxing.com was informed tonight that both Walsh and O’Reilly have been selected and will fight to join the seven qualified Irish boxers in Rio in the qualifier which gloves off on June 16th.
The duo need to finish in the top five spots in their weight to book their place in Brazil.
Should Walsh fail to qualify in the 64kg class it is assumed that Moylette will travel to Venezuela for the WSB/APB qualifier in July.