Sport

Golden girl Michaela Walsh proves doubters wrong with top showing in Italy

Belfast bantam Michael Walsh stands proudly on top of the podium after winning gold at the EU Championships on Saturday
Belfast bantam Michael Walsh stands proudly on top of the podium after winning gold at the EU Championships on Saturday Belfast bantam Michael Walsh stands proudly on top of the podium after winning gold at the EU Championships on Saturday

FROM being left out in the cold to standing on the top of the podium – Michaela Walsh certainly knows how to make an impression when her back is against the wall.

The Monkstown fighter’s name wasn’t on the list when the initial squad for the EU Championships was named last month, yet Walsh was the only member of the team who touched down in Dublin on Sunday with a gold medal around her neck.

Before travelling to Cascia in Italy, Walsh hadn’t boxed in competition since winning the Irish Elite title at the start of 2016, but there was little sign of rust as she announced her return to the ring in style.

After beating England’s highly-rated Ebonie Jones in her first fight, the 24-year-old scored further unanimous decision wins over Julia Coroli (Moldova) and Helena Envall (Sweden) before defeating Germany’s Azize Nimani in Saturday’s final.

And Walsh insists it felt as though she had never been away.

“Before we went to Italy, Paul Johnston organised some sparring with members of the Mongolian team and I was doing six rounds with them every day,” she said.

“That got the rustiness out of me, it was good, hard sparring and it all paid off. I felt as if I hadn’t been out of the ring at all.

“A couple of times when I’ve been away to major competitions I’ve been unlucky with the draw, but I was actually glad I got a tough draw first up this time.

“After beating the English girl I felt great. That was the springboard. Having to perform at such a high level, it brought the best out of me. Every fight after that I was expected to keep that level or do even better so that was huge.

“The girl in the final, she was the best boxer out of all the ones I was in with, but I felt it was my easiest fight. Before every fight, the coaches were going over the tactics, we didn’t have to change anything, they got it all spot on.”

And the issues leading into the competition - the fact that Walsh and fellow late addition Kristina O’Hara were left behind in Dublin while the rest of the Irish team attended a training camp in France - gave her extra motivation.

She added: “I went over there with my mind set on gold.

“I wanted to prove a lot of people wrong, especially because I wasn’t even supposed to be going in the first place.

“It was a tough week. You’re just sitting in a hotel, it was roasting over there so you can’t really do anything, but I wasn’t there to see around me - I was there to win the gold medal and that’s what happened.

“The fact I won the whole thing still hasn’t really sunk in yet, but I’m sure it will in time.”

Despite feeling strong boxing at 54kg, it is the last time Walsh will compete in that weight class as she begins the process of building up towards the Olympic weight of 57kg in the coming months.

Her first outing at lightweight could be at the Ulster Elite Championships, which are expected to act as a qualifier for the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games team.

Having landed silver in Glasgow three years ago, controversially losing to double Olympic champion Nicola Adams in the final, Walsh is determined to be part of the team that travels to Australia’s Gold Coast next April.

“Everybody was thinking the Ulster seniors would be in September but I’m not sure that’ll be the case now,” she said.

“If not, I’ll maybe do the Celtic Box Cup just to keep myself busy and get more fights. But winning the EU Championships sets me up lovely for the Ulster seniors now.

“That’s my number one goal.”

Paul McMahon was re-elected as president of the Ulster Council on Sunday
Paul McMahon was re-elected as president of the Ulster Council on Sunday Paul McMahon was re-elected as president of the Ulster Council on Sunday
Paul McMahon was re-elected as president of the Ulster Council on Sunday
Paul McMahon was re-elected as president of the Ulster Council on Sunday Paul McMahon was re-elected as president of the Ulster Council on Sunday

THE president of the County Antrim Board has admitted he is considering his future within boxing after Sunday’s Ulster Council election.

Paul McMahon and Sadie Duffy were re-elected as president and secretary of the provincial body at an election that saw several clubs denied a vote following issues surrounding unsubmitted affiliation forms.

Paddy Barnes snr said last week that the result should be declared “null and void” if all clubs were not able to vote, and he has now called on the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) to act on the matter.

“As far as I’m concerned, the Ulster Council were given advice by the CEO [Fergal Carruth] of the IABA, so it’s now down to them,” said Barnes snr.

“They talk about good governance, and good governance is all about proper procedures. I imagine an election would be at the very top of the page.

“So I’ll be directing any matters to the IABA, and I’ll be trying to get a meeting with the IABA board of directors to put my case forward.”

However Barnes snr, who insists he will be acting as an individual rather than as president of the County Antrim Board, does not expect the IABA to deal with the matter any time soon.

“My honest opinion though is that the IABA will do nothing about this. Everything is kept on the long finger,” he added.

“The CEO should have put a stop to the election until everybody had a vote. How can we talk about good governance if we haven’t even got definitions of rules and regulations?

“I probably will be considering my position within boxing, never mind the County Antrim Board, depending on what the IABA do on this.”

Belfast cruiserweight Tommy McCarthy is set to meet Luke 'The Duke' Watkins on October 21
Belfast cruiserweight Tommy McCarthy is set to meet Luke 'The Duke' Watkins on October 21 Belfast cruiserweight Tommy McCarthy is set to meet Luke 'The Duke' Watkins on October 21

McCARTHY SET FOR WATKINS SHOWDOWN ON BURNETT'S BELFAST SHOW

TOMMY McCarthy could be set for a mouth-watering showdown against Luke Watkins on the undercard of Ryan Burnett’s Belfast world title defence on October 21.

Burnett meets Kazakh Zhanat Zhakiyanov in a unification fight for the IBF and WBA bantamweight titles at the SSE Arena, after the north Belfast fighter took the belt from Lee Haskins at the same venue back in June.

And the cruiserweight showdown between McCarthy, who hasn’t fought since losing to Matty Askin last November, and Swindon-based Watkins appears likely to take place on the same bill.

Last week the British Boxing Board of Control confirmed that they would sanction the fight as an official British title eliminator – meaning McCarthy could be in line for a potential rematch with Askins should he beat Watkins.