Irish title vacant for Nationals
THE Irish heavyweight title will be vacant at the 1st National Elite Men’s and Women’s Championships of 2018 after Darren O’neill pulled out of the tournament due to injury.
The Kilkenny southpaw, who beat Athlone’s Ken Okungbowa in the 2017 final on a unanimous decision, confirmed an injured right hand will keep him out.
The draw for the Championships, which begins Friday at Dublin’s National Stadium, will be made this morning.
The Irish Athletic Boxing Association are running the Elites twice this year to facilitate Ireland’s boxers going into the Tokyo 2020 qualifiers.
O’neill, who captained Team Ireland at London 2012, first entered the Elites in 2005 where he was beaten by Ken Egan in the light-heavy final.
“Don’t be reminding me!” said the 2010 European Elite finalist, acknowledged as one of the hardest punchers on the international circuit.
“I wasn’t able to put in proper preparation for these Elites because of my hand. I was thinking of entering but I had to consider the long-term implications because I will have to have an operation.”
The light-heavy belt will also be vacant this month with current European Joe Ward fighting in the World Series of Boxing which is a route to Tokyo 2020.
The Moate BC southpaw is set to line out for the British Lionhearts, who lost to the French Fighting Roosters last Friday, in Newcastle on Friday week versus the Croatian Knights.
“I’ll travel out two days before the fight,” said Ward who won the Best Overall Boxer at the IABA Annual Awards last Saturday.