HARD TO FAULT
Lucky Irish fans witness a stirring summer show full of excitement
SWELTERING summer heat, domestic dust-ups, proper tests for prospects, and a packed-out old-school venue (Good Counsel G.A.A Club). This Boxing Ireland and Tony Davitt co-promotion was the perfect night of small hall boxing.
Carl Mcdonald and Victor Rabei walked away with titles, but the real winners on the night were the hundreds of fans from the much-maligned Dublin scene which has suffered in recent months and years with numerous cancellations and controversies.
An underdog and giving up size already, even a late move up in weight could not deny Mcdonald, who outpointed Colin O’donovan for the BUI Celtic featherweight strap in a bout officiated by Emile Tiedt. Initially due to be for the super-bantamweight belt, the Boxing Union of Ireland and Mcdonald agreed to shift up to featherweight after O’donovan was unable to hit the 122lb limit.
Jobstown’s Mcdonald showed nice skills early on before displaying a surprising amount of grit when Youghal’s O’donovan began to impose his size in the atmospheric hall’s phone box ring. Mcdonald looked to be lagging somewhat as the bout went into the seventh but the gutsy Dubliner summoned a perfect body shot on the inside which put O’donovan down, taking the wind from the Cork fighter’s sails and providing a second one for “The Cobra”, who claimed a 79-74, 78-75, 77-74 unanimous decision win.
The vacant BUI Celtic superlightweight title was contested in an equally exciting clash refereed by Pádraig Ó’reachtagáin. Stepping up in weight, Monkstown’s Karl Kelly pushed and pressured Rathmichael’s Rabei for every second of the eight rounds, walking through a scarcely believable amount of shots to unload his own good work on the ropes. However, the quality work of Rabei won out, with the Moldovaborn talent taking a 78-75 (twice), 77-75 unanimous verdict to claim the Irish title feeder belt which Kelly graciously presented him with afterwards.
Smithfield welterweight Keane Mcmahon stepped up in rounds and opposition, rising to the occasion with a third-session stoppage of Jade Karam.
The slick Dubliner hurt the Cork-based South African with a left hook to the body in the third and sent him down with a flurry upstairs. Karam rose and took barrage after barrage before the towel was thrown in after 2-16. Mr Ó’reachtagáin was the man in the middle for the scheduled six-rounder.
Lucan welter John Joyce had a furious slugfest with Bulgarian Angel Emilov,
both throwing non-stop punches for six gruelling rounds before Joyce was declared a deserved 58-57 winner by Mr Tiedt.
Returning from a fractured index finger, featherweight southpaw Eric Donovan fought well within himself versus Bulgarian teen Samuil Dimitrov.
The Athy former elite amateur fought one-handed for much of the contest, testing the left intermittently. Mr Tiedt deemed him a 40-36 winner.
Garryowen super-welter Graham Mccormack showed good boxing when at range versus the relentless Radoslav Mitev. Mccormack scored a flash knockdown of the Bulgarian in the third round and eventually won out 40-37 on Mr Ó’reachtagáin’s card.
Crumlin super-feather Aiden Metcalfe needed a strong final round to squeak a 40-38 win over Poland’s Krzysztof Rogowski. Referee Ó’reachtagáin had his hands full throughout in a foul-filled fight.
BUI Celtic super-featherweight champion Stephen Mcafee had Poland’s Damian Lawniczak down with a left hook to the body in the opener of their six-rounder. The Sallynoggin slugger showed a more considered side afterwards and came out a 59-54 winner for Mr. Ó’reachtagáin.
Stepping up to six, Jobstown bantam Dylan Mcdonagh hurt Georgi Georgiev in the opening round with an overhand right but needed to box smart and withstand a spirited display from the game Bulgarian, eventually prevailing 59-56 on Mr Ó’reachtagáin’s card.
Also moving up to six, Ballybrack super-feather Niall O’connor obliterated Slaveya Stefanov inside a round, dropping the Bulgarian twice to the body before a clean right hand upstairs put him down and out, Mr Tiedt stopping the fight after 2-16.
In a scheduled four, Antrim Town cruiser Conor Cooke forgot his fight shorts, borrowing Mitev’s, but still scored a huge debut knockout. Already having Pole Pawel Kucharski down once, the MMA convert ended the bout after 1-15 of the second with a massive uppercut which saw Mr Ó’reachtagáin wave it off immediately.
THE VERDICT The perfect small hall card.