International boxing: Michael Conlan (16-1) v Miguel Marriaga (30-5) (tonight, the SSE Arena, 10.30pm, live on FITE TV)
IT was a sickening sight. Unconscious and lifeless, Michael Conlan collapsed backwards through the ropes in Nottingham last March into the arms of his distraught brother Jamie and dad John. Conlan’s ‘0’ was gone but, with his health at stake, nobody gave that a thought as he was carried out of Nottingham Arena on a stretcher.
Thankfully, Conlan was soon back to himself and the following morning he was up and about and calling for a rematch with Leigh Wood, the man who beat him that night.
Wood has shown little interest in it but his right hook 90 seconds from the final bell removed the aura of invincibility Conlan projected and the question the Belfast man must answer against Columbia’s Miguel Marriaga tonight is: How much, if anything, has that loss taken out of him?
It must have dented his confidence but Conlan insists he returns to the ring a better fighter.
You learn tough lessons in the school of hard knocks and the brash west Belfast pistolero has been replaced by a more mature, focussed fighter who now knows what it is like to lose, to be knocked out and carried out of an arena when he had come so close to a famous win.
Although he may reappear in the future the loss to Wood is in the past, the present is about defeating teak-tough Marriaga who has boxed for a world title three times and mixed it with a host of cross-over names, most notably ‘The Matrix’ himself Vasyl Lomachenko.
On home soil in front of his adoring fans, Conlan will go in as favourite against the 35 year-old Marriaga but ‘the Scorpion’ has a sting in his tail.
He has come to fight and win and predicts that the memories of his loss to Wood will come back to haunt Conlan tonight. He has five losses on his record but all five have been against top quality operators including Lomachenko and Oscar Valdez.
Broad-shouldered and strong, he has slippery upperbody movement and a whiplash right hand that has set up 26 stoppage wins over a career that stretches back 15 years. He based his training camp in the high mountains outside Mexico City and says he is in great shape to take Conlan’s scalp.
“I know it’s going to be a very good fight, Michael Conlan is an excellent boxer,” he said this week.
“He’s an elite fighter but I’ve come very well prepared and I’m here to win the fight.”
Lomachenko is the only man to stop Marriaga and that was five years ago. Whether he is as durable as he once was remains to be seen but Conlan insists that the Columbian “is a guy with no quit in him” and he expects him to be in his face until the final bell.
“I think he will be in there to the end,” he said.
“Am I expecting to go in there and take him out? No. If it happens it happens but I’m not expecting it because I know how tough he is. I saw his fight with Oscar Valdez in Los Angeles and it was a ‘Fight of the Year’ contender. He hurt Oscar and I know how tough Oscar is, so I know he’s a very good opponent and a hard man, very strong and someone you have to be wary of.”
Like Conlan, Marriaga is coming back from a loss. He was beaten by Eduardo Ramirez in late 2021 when, and after a decent opening round, he struggled to make an impact on the skilful southpaw. Ramirez established his jab early on and dropped Marriaga with a straight left hand Conlan would have been proud of in the third round on the way to a dominant points win.
He is there to be hit and Conlan will not need to go looking for him tonight but he will have to be wary of that dangerous back hand. He says he will not “get drunk on his own success” like he did when he punched himself to a standstill against Wood but instead box to the plan that will get him back on the road to another world title shot.
“One thing the loss has done is make me keen to fight anyone,” he said.
“I want to be back fighting for world titles so I’m keen to fight anybody. If you looked at my journey up to Nottingham, in a sense it was probably a straight line but now I’m on that winding road that most of fighters are on.
“The route is not the same as it was at the start of my career but that’s a good thing. It means you learn, it brings that hunger back, it makes you want to get there even more. I’m happy with where I am, I’m focussed on what I have to do and I know where I have to get to.
“When I get there it’ll be all the better. I had it the easy way for a while but I went into Wood’s backyard the last time to do it the hard way. It didn’t pay off but I was very close – I was one shot away, 90 seconds away and I showed a level of skill in that fight that no-one had got to see before.
“I’m looking forward to going the hard way again.”
Marriaga is a world class test that Conlan cannot take lightly but if he maintains his poise and discipline it’s a test he should pass. Expect Marriaga to bring the best out of him and expect Conlan to hammer him with that left hand of his and box his way to a comprehensive points win.
WBC International Silver Super-middleweight title: Padraig McCrory (13-0) v Marco Antonio Periban (26-5-1)
THE ‘Hammer’ has his work cut out against former world title challenger Periban. It’s a sizeable step-up for McCrory who has limited experience but he hits hard with both hands and is difficult to pin down. Victory tonight will pave the way for an EU title shot.
“He’s boxed at the highest levels but it’s the perfect fight at the perfect time for me,” said Belfast native McCrory.
“I expect a big performance and a big win. I think it will bring the best out of me, I’ve trained really hard and sparred really well, camp has been brilliant so there’s no pressure.”
Periban has been to the top and although he’s in the twilight of his career, he may just have too much craft and experience for McCrory but if the Belfast man catches him clean it will be game over.
Prediction: Periban
Boxing Union of Ireland vacant Celtic Featherweight title: Ruadhan Farrell (3-0) v Colm Murphy (4-0)
OUTSIDE of a boxing ring, he looks anything but the ‘Violent Gentleman’ the bold branding on his tracksuit announces but appearances can be deceptive and Colm Murphy is a gentleman who will never be beaten for lack of throwing punches.
The 4-0 Belfast featherweight has the fight of his fledgling career so far tonight and he will trust his high-octane movement and rapid shot output to get the job done against city rival Ruadhan Farrell at the SSE Arena.
The 22-year-old prospects clash for the Celtic featherweight title and both are relishing the step up from the small hall arena to the SSE Arena.
“I’m feeling very good,” said Dee Walsh-trained Murphy.
“If you had told me I’d be doing this last year I’d have been shocked. I was here at the open workout to support my mate Pody (Padraig McCrory) and I have to pinch myself. I’m really grateful for all this.”
He breaks off to get a picture taken with Ruadhan Farrell, his opponent in what should be a rip-roaring battle. There’s no bad blood between the pair of them, it’s a case of ‘may the best man win’. Farrell has two stoppage wins on his card and the John Breen-trained New Lodge native will give everything he has tonight.
“This is a dream come true for both of us,” says Murphy.
“We’re both 22 and we’re putting it all on the line here. In the long run it’s going to pay off for both of us no matter what the result is.
“This could be the fight of the night and people could be talking about a rematch after it. I’ll be sticking to my boxing, I think my boxing will be the answer.”
Farrell, who sees himself as the underdog, added: “All the pressure is on him, I’m just looking forward to it. We’ll both get in there and do the business on Saturday night.”
Prediction: Murphy
Welterweight: Tyrone McKenna (22-3-1) v Chris Jenkins (23-5-3)
THERE will be blood in this one. McKenna, now fighting up at 147lbs, and his Welsh opponent Jenkins are both susceptible to cuts and they love a war.
It’s a crossroads fight for both men. If they win they’ve beaten a respected, experienced warrior. If they lose: Where do they go? So there’s a lot on the line.
McKenna somehow squeezed his six-foot plus frame down to 140lbs for years and still managed to be an all-action warrior. The extra half-a-stone makes him a more dangerous proposition and he has the tools to come out of the trenches with a victory and go on to a fight with Florian Marku who stopped Jenkins last time out.
Prediction: McKenna
Welterweight: Paddy Donovan (8-0) v Tom Hill (10-2)
TRAINED by Andy Lee, Limerick’s Donovan was one of the stars of the show at the last Feile fight night. His opponent Hill goes into tonight’s fight after beating Dublin’s Rohan Date in Dubai but Donovan should have too much for him.
Light-welterweight: Sean McComb (13-1) v Ramiro Blanco (18-11-3)
AFTER a promising start to his career, Blanco has lost his last eight in-a-row and is up against Belfast’s ‘Public Nuisance’ who has rediscovered his form with Pete Taylor in his corner.
Featherweight: Kurt Walker (2-0) v Marcos Gabriel Martinez (18-3)
ADAM Booth-trained Walker gets his first six-rounder against experienced Argentinian Martinez. Former Olympian Walker is leaving his amateur style behind and will aim to impress on his home debut as a pro.
Lightweight: James McGivern (4-0) v Tony McGlynn (3-0)
ANOTHER clash of two unbeaten Irish fighters. McGivern’s amateur pedigree should see him box his way to victory against Dubliner McGlynn.
Light-middleweight: Kieran Molloy (1-0) v Evgenii Vazem (9-34)
GALWAY native Molloy said he was over-eager in his debut and hopes to relax and box his way to victory tonight against experienced journeyman Vazem.
Heavyweight: Thomas Carty (3-0) v Jiri Svacina (15-54)
THE t-shirt he wore at the open workout read ‘No Carty, no party’ and affable Pete Taylor-trained, Dillian Whyte-managed Dubliner Carty brings his party to Belfast against Czech journeyman Svacina who is limited but could last the distance.
Middleweight: Fearghus Quinn (3-0) v Seamus Devlin (1-34-1)
COUNTY Armagh middleweight Quinn has been out of the ring for a year now and the Belleek native will surely open the show by beating England-based ‘Celtic Cobra’ Devlin.
