LAST MAN STANDING
Sheahan is the Last Man Standing on a fairy-tale night
There’s a Cinderella story in Dublin as the tournament winner is crowned
A BOXING fairytale occurred amidst the snow and slush at the National Stadium. Just over two months ago, Roy Sheahan was well and truly out of boxing, having had his last amateur fight in February 2015. The Athy middleweight was working on a building site but was roused back into the sport in a bout of opportunism for the big-money Last Man Standing tournament (Red Corner Promotions and Assassin Promotions).
The Prizefighter-style competition had enticed television network TG4, with the event being the first Irish pro show in over six years to be broadcast on terrestrial TV in Ireland, and they were rewarded with a night of sensational action.
Sheahan, who debuted only last month, scored three wins on the spin in the eight- man, single-elimination, three by threeminute rounds tournament to take top prize – a hefty €25,000 along with a bonus €5,000 for his amateur club St Michael’s Athy.
Indeed, it was actually €26,000 following a knockout bonus from his final win over Little Lever’s Jack Cullen. Sheahan, in that one, cornered the rangy fighter and lashed in unanswered volleys that forced referee Emile Tiedt to intervene after 2-52 of the first round.
Sheahan smartly outpointed first seed JJ Mcdonagh in the semi-finals (30-27 & 29-28 twice), having got past Mitchelstown slugger Vladimir Belujsky in the quarters (30-27 thrice), dropping the Slovakia-born fighter in a toe-totoe opening round with a straight right counter. Mr Tiedt officiated both contests.
Cullen, a late entrant to the tournament, was badly affected by the short turnaround between his second and third fights, such is the format. He had impressed in the semis, weathering an early storm and dropping Navan’s Chris Blaney heavily in the second en route to a points win (29-27 thrice) refereed by Pádraig Ó’reachtagáin. Previously, he had kept relentless Liverpudlian Nick Quigley at range for a quarter-final decision victory (30-27 thrice), which was also overseen by Mr Ó’reachtagáin.
The remaining quarters saw Blaney overcome Stoke’s Owen Jobburn on points (29-28 & 30-27 twice), in a slugfest overseen by Mr Ó’reachtagáin, while Mullingar’s Mcdonagh took home a €5,000 bonus for fastest knockout of the night, flattening Lenadoon veteran Gerard Healy after 1-31 of the first round, with Mr Tiedt officiating.
The inclement weather hurt attendance badly, but an electric atmosphere was created for the main event, which saw inner-city favourite Craig O’brien claim the vacant Irish super-welterweight title, outpointing the fit and game Jay Byrne of Loughlinstown in a bout officiated by Mr. Tiedt. O’brien built a healthy lead early on and was able to withstand a late push from the rugged Byrne to take the bout by scores of 99-92 and 98-92 twice.
As expected, O’brien began well off the jab and, despite Byrne taking centre ring and setting an extremely high pace, showed impressive conditioning to maintain his control of the Dublin derby.
Moldova-born Dublin lightweight Victor Rabei dropped Belfast’s Mark Morris with his first punch – a left hook. Morris immediately rose and started firing shots at Rabei, needing to be dragged back by Mr Tiedt for a count to be administered. An all-out war broke out in the third, with a distressed Morris, who vomited in the corner, being pulled out at the end of the stanza.
Without his trainer, Kieran Farrell – who was stranded by the weather in Manchester along with his fight gear – Kilmacthomas welter Dylan Moran borrowed boots, shorts and the expertise of Dublin boxing stalwart Philip Sutcliffe, en route to stopping Hungarian Gyula Rozsas in the third round. Mr Ó’reachtagáin waved the fight off after 1-16 of the session.
Debuting Stillorgan middleweight Cillian Reardon is a late starter to boxing, but the Leinster Rugby strength and conditioning coach showed surprising skill and patience in outpointing the much-heavier Hungarian Istvan Orsos 40-36 on Mr Tiedt’s card.
Panamanian light-heavy Israel Duffus toyed with Hungarian Attila Orsos, dropping him in the first and again in the third, with Mr Ó’reachtagáin calling it off after the second knockdown 16 seconds into the round.
THE VERDICT A Cinderella story rounds off this fitting return to terrestrial TV for Irish boxing.