Boxing: Irish Elite Championships
IT took a solid left hook from Lewis Crocker to get rid of any lingering doubts Tiernan Bradley may have had about moving up to welterweight for his second stab at the Irish Elite Championships.
Bradley lost out to Sean McComb in their lightweight contest at the National Stadium back in November 2015 and while McComb now campaigns at light-welter, Bradley has skipped two weight classes to enter this year’s competition at 69 kilos.
It wasn’t the plan but, after a training trip to Lanzarote a fortnight ago, Bradley decided the time had come to give welterweight a crack.
“I was sitting about 70 kilo trying to get down to 64 two weeks out,” said the 19-year-old.
“It didn’t happen, I was a bit drained, drinking no water. It wasn’t healthy so I decided I was comfortable and strong at 69.”
All his sparring in recent months had been with welters Gerard French and Brett McGinty, but it was a trip to the Emerald boxing club in west Belfast that provided the real acid test.
Four rounds with 10-3 professional Paddy Gallagher and Crocker, recently recruited by Mack The Knife Global, told him he was ready for the step up – although he didn’t come away completely unscathed.
“Lewis caught me with a left hook… I had my hands up lucky enough but when he hit my guard my own glove hit my face and gave me a black eye,” laughed the Sacred Heart, Omagh fighter.
“They’re hard-hitting 69s so it gave me a bit of confidence that I knew I could take a punch from a fully-fledged 69.”
After edging Clonard’s French last Saturday, Bradley faces three-time Irish light-welterweight champion Dean Walsh in the last four tonight.
Despite also moving up a weight class, Walsh will come in as big favourite but Bradley believes he has the tools to beat the Wexford man.
He said: “It was close last year when I fought Sean McComb and I think Sean is better than Dean Walsh.
“That’s the level I stepped up to last year so there’s no reason why I can’t beat Dean Walsh. A lot of people behind me believe I can beat him and that’s given me confidence.
“I’m faster, I’m healthier and I’m fitter now than I ever was - I’m in a good place at the minute.”
There are a host of other Ulster fighters in semi-final action tonight, with Holy Trinity’s McComb – a two-time Irish lightweight champion – out to book a place in the 64kg decider when he takes on Dublin’s Patrick Linehan.
At flyweight, there is a rematch of last year’s 52kg final when Rio Olympian Brendan Irvine goes toe-to-toe with Ormeau Road’s TJ Waite, while Canal’s reigning bantamweight king Kurt Walker faces Evan Metcalfe of Crumlin.
Blaine Dobbins (St Joseph’s, Derry) takes on Connor Jordan (St Aidan’s) at light-fly, with Old School lightweight Gary McKenna up against Dublin’s George Bates.
Camlough’s Fearghus Quinn has his sights set on a spot in the middleweight final, he is paired with Glasnevin’s Emmett Brennan, while light-heavyweight sensation Joe Ward makes his return to the ring against Michael Frayne.
Ward isn’t the only one making a comeback either, with St John Bosco’s Kristina O’Hara entering the Irish elites for the first time in two years, dropping down to 48kg to face Monkstown’s Carol Coughlan.
Irish Elite Championship semi-finals (National Stadium)
Tonight (first fight 7pm)
48kg: C Coughlan (Monkstown, Dublin) v K O’Hara (St John Bosco)
49kg: B Dobbins (St Joseph’s, Derry) v C Jordan (St Aidan’s)
52kg: B Irvine (St Paul’s, Antrim) v TJ Waite (Ormeau Road)
57kg: D Duffy (Mulhuddart) v T Russell (Fr Horgan's)
57kg: A Coughlan (Paulstown) v M McElligot (St Michael’s, Athy)
56kg: K Walker (Canal) v E Metcalfe (Crumlin)
60kg: G Bates (St Mary’s, Dublin) v G McKenna (Old School)
64kg: S Greene (St Brigid’s) v E Agnew (Dealgan)
64kg: S McComb (Holy Trinity) v P Linehan (St Mary’s, Dublin)
69kg: D Walsh (St Ibar’s) v T Bradley (Sacred Heart, Omagh)
75kg: E Brennan (Glasnevin) v F Quinn (Camlough)
81kg: J Ward (Moate) v M Frayne (St Mary’s)
91kg: D O’Neill (Paulstown) v JJ McDonagh (Crumlin)
91+kg: D Sullivan (Emerald) v M Keenan (Rathkeale)
