NEWRY teenager Conor Wallace’s dreams of competing at this summer’s Olympic Games could be resurrected as he looks set for a box-off against Michael O’Reilly to decide who goes to the final qualifying event for Rio next month.
There is also renewed hope for Holy Trinity’s Sean McComb as it is understood he could be in the frame for a meeting with reigning light-welterweight champion Dean Walsh.
McComb, a two-time Irish Elite champion at lightweight, recently confirmed that he would be campaigning at 64kg from now on.
Former European champion Ray Moylette - who dropped a close decision to Walsh in the Irish Elite final back in December - could get another shot at his former foe, while George Bates, Wayne Kelly and Oliver Cleary may all come into the mix if a box-off is sanctioned.
The Irish Athletic Boxing Association’s management committee will meet today to discuss the matter, with a central council meeting likely to be called next week.
While the picture is slightly less clear at 64kg, 19-year-old Wallace and O’Reilly – who fought in the 2015 Irish Elite final - appear certain to face off once again for a place at the World Qualifying tournament in Baku.
That event takes place from June 14-26, and the Irish team travelling to the Azeri capital must be submitted to the International Boxing Association by May 27.
Therefore, with such a short turnaround time, it is expected that any box-offs could take place at the National Stadium on Friday, May 20.
With Ulster fighters making up four of the six already qualified for this summer’s Games in Brazil, the chance of another one – and possibly two – joining Michael Conlan, Paddy Barnes, Steven Donnelly and Brendan Irvine in Rio is a ringing endorsement of the strength of boxing in the North at the minute.
Even if he is granted a box-off though, Wallace would go in as a big underdog against world number three O’Reilly.
The Portlaoise puncher was crowned Irish middleweight king for the third year in-a-row when he beat Wallace in last year’s Irish final, and can count himself hugely unlucky not to have already booked his spot in Brazil.
O’Reilly reached the last four of the World Championships last October, and was on the wrong end of a dubious decision in the Olympic box-off against the other defeated semi-finalist, Egypt’s Hosam Abdin.
He got the nod against Wallace at the Irish Elites but, speaking to The Irish News back in March, the Newry southpaw said he would fancy his chances against O’Reilly should the pair ever meet again - admitting he “probably showed him a bit too much respect” at the Stadium back in December.
“I started a bit too slow on the night,” he said.
“It was probably just nerves being on the big stage and the fact I was fighting the world number three. If I was to do it again I’d be more confident.”
Dean Walsh lost out to Venezuela’s Luis Arcon Diaz at the round of 32 stage at the World Championships, and dropped a split decision to Lorenzo Sotomayor of Azerbaijan in the last 16 of the European Olympic Qualifying tournament in April, therefore his selection for Baku is under threat.
