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“We have all lost out now” – Sean Creagh counting cost of Citywest cancellation

The first weekend of February proved both a good and bad weekend for Irish boxing.

While the Europa Hotel played host to a highly entertaining MHD Promotions card on which a number of Irish pros registered victories, a proposed Dublin card was cancelled last minute.

SK Promotions were left extremely disappointed after their proposed ‘Collision Course’ was cancelled by management at the Citywest venue in Saggart.

Seven Irish fighters were due to box on the card. Naas lightweight Gary Cully was to headline, with his Taylormade team-mates Luke Keeler and Davey Oliver Joyce also set to feature alongside Liam Gaynor, Shortty Carroll, debutant Eoin McGrath, and Sean Creagh.

The Stephen Kavanagh run promotional outfit confirmed they will explore the compensation route and fans who bought tickets have been reimbursed, but the fighters are the real losers on occasions such as this.

Currently three of the seven are awaiting new dates – and while four of the MTK managed punchers have secured fights on the ‘Danger at the Devenish 3’ card this coming Saturday, they were still left out of pocket and with upset fans.

One such fighter who suffered disappointment over the weekend was Sean Creagh [7(2)-1(1)].

The Tallaght fighter will fight in Belfast this coming weekend but, while that is a consolation, it doesn’t make up for seeing Saturday’s show fall through.

‘Creaghzy Horse’ no longer gets to fight on his doorstep or even in his home city, he spent the week making weight without a fight, and he is left with an army of upset fans.

“We put everything into all our camps and sponsors help us cover the cost because we don’t make a lot of money,” Creagh told Irish-boxing.com.

“We are lucky if we break even after we have fought. A lot of us fighters would be depending on getting the money back off our ticket sales. Then we can go into the next training camp with the sponsors’ money to keep it rolling.”

“It’s hard enough without shows being cancelled.”

“For Citywest to pull the plug like that last minute not only affects the promoter but hurts us fighters too. We have all lost out now. The sponsor money is used for physios, strength and conditioning, food and training gear so we are left with nothing,” he lamented before empathising with his large and loyal fanbase.

“Then you have the people that actually took tickets and I know a few mine actually booked the hotel for the night and now there is no show for them to go to. It’s hit them in the pocket too.”

“It’s very unprofessional for Citywest to do that to all of us fighters. Lucky enough a couple of us get to get out next week but the other lads on show have been left badly stuck. It’s really bad form.”

Photo Credit: Laszlo Geczo Photography

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