Sport

Conlan the most skilful Irish boxer ever according to Barnes

Michael Conlan scored a unanimous victory over Team GB&rsquo;s Qais Ashfaq in the bantamweight final at the European Elite Championships&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;
Michael Conlan scored a unanimous victory over Team GB’s Qais Ashfaq in the bantamweight final at the European Elite Championships 
 
Michael Conlan scored a unanimous victory over Team GB’s Qais Ashfaq in the bantamweight final at the European Elite Championships 
 
(Pat Murphy / SPORTSFILE/SPORTSFILE)

TWO-TIME Olympic medallist Paddy Barnes has hailed Michael Conlan “the most skilful boxer ever to come out of Ireland” after watching his fellow Belfast boxer grab a European gold medal at the weekend.

Despite only three weeks’ preparation, and a late struggle to get down to the 56 kilo weight limit, Conlan took care of three opponents before a unanimous victory over England Qais Ashfaq on Saturday secured top honours. The 23-year-old also picked up the coveted Best Boxer award.

Barnes has seen plenty of top quality fighters come through the high performance unit during the past decade, including the likes of reigning world super-bantamweight champion Carl Frampton and 2012 Olympic silver medallist John Joe Nevin. 

But the Holy Family man says Conlan is the most naturally gifted Irish fighter he has seen.

“What other boxers have you seen who can fight orthodox, southpaw, front foot back foot – and all of them with complete ease?” asked Barnes.

“There’s nobody else I can think of. He has to be the most skilful boxer ever to come out of Ireland.

“Most of it isn’t even taught, it’s just natural skill. His dad has helped him a lot, but Mick has it all.

“He was nowhere near his best out there [in Samokov], but he still controlled every fight. If he’d been away on a proper training camp before he’d probably have stopped a few of those boys.”

Since announcing himself on the world stage by picking up a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics as an 20-year-old, Conlan has developed physically, moving up from flyweight to bantamweight.

He hasn’t looked back since and, before travelling to Bulgaria, spoke of his desire to complete a clean sweep of the major international tournaments – Olympics, Worlds, Europeans and Commonwealth Games – before joining his brother Jamie in the professional ranks. 

Having qualified for the World Championships in Qatar in October, Barnes believes there is nobody who can stop Conlan adding World and Olympic gold to his European medal.

He said: “I think he’ll go and win gold [in Doha] – I can’t see anybody beating him.

“The top nations, the likes of the Russians, are very good at profiling boxers and developing tactics for their kids to fight them. But how can you come up with tactics to fight against somebody who can fight every single way in the book? You can’t prepare for that, it’s impossible.

“Mick has improved a lot since the last Olympics. At 52 he was tall for the weight, very skinny, very weak. He struggled to make the weight. 

“But now he’s grown into 56 kilos, he makes it comfortably and he’s very strong.

“He has to be the favourite next year in Rio. He has that belief he can win, and he really, really believes he’s going to win the gold medal.”

With light-heavyweight Joe Ward adding another gold as Ireland finished up second in the medal table behind Russia, Billy Walsh’s men look in rude health ahead of the World Championships in Qatar in October.

And Barnes admits there is a tinge of the green-eyed monster at not being part of the Irish team that will head for the Persian Gulf, after Brendan Irvine booked the light-flyweight berth by winning silver at June’s European Games in Baku.

“Watching the European Championships there, I did feel a bit jealous,” admitted the 28-year-old, who returns to competitive action at the Feliks Stamm tournament in Poland next month.

“Seeing the lads doing so well... it’s usually me going there, I’m on the team all the time and it felt strange. I didn’t really like it.

“I’ve been to the last four  World Championships and it’s the only tournament I don’t have a medal from, so I’d have loved to have gone there and got a medal.”

 Barnes also insists he will be cheering on Brendan Irvine at the World Championships in Qatar – even though it could potentially put his place at next summer’s Olympic Games in jeopardy.

Jason Quigley is the only Irishman to have reached a final at the Worlds – picking up silver in 2013 – and Irvine knows he must at least match that achievement to be in with a chance of forcing a light-flyweight box-off with Barnes.

The Holy Family ace secured his qualification for Rio through the World Series of Boxing earlier this year.

However, Irish coach Billy Walsh has since stated that if Irvine springs a major surprise in Qatar, the Irish Amateur Boxing Association’s central council will be left facing a selection headache.

Barnes tweeted his support to Irvine  as he won silver at the European Games in Baku, and says he will be wishing the teenager well in Doha.

“It’s a weird one because I would cheer any Irish boxer on, no matter what,” said Barnes. “Brendan Irvine (below) has the ability to go far, he proved that at the European Games, but the Worlds is so, so tough.

“If he wins gold at the World Championships, I would have no problem with a box-off. It would be only fair.

“It would be great for Irish sport to have two world champions at the same weight.”