Sport

Seconds Out: Amy inspiration helped bring Broadhurst back to the ring

After five years out of the ring, Stehen Broadhurst returns against Conor Maguire (Dockers) in Thursday night's Ulster Elite Championship final in Dery
After five years out of the ring, Stehen Broadhurst returns against Conor Maguire (Dockers) in Thursday night's Ulster Elite Championship final in Dery After five years out of the ring, Stehen Broadhurst returns against Conor Maguire (Dockers) in Thursday night's Ulster Elite Championship final in Dery

FOR the second year in-a-row there will be a Broadhurst competing for an Ulster elite crown – but this time it is World champion Amy’s older brother Stephen going for glory on his comeback to the ring.

The Dundalk southpaw who, like Amy, is now affiliated to the St Bronagh’s club in Rostrevor, hasn’t laced up gloves since losing out to Tokyo Olympian Emmet Brennan in the 2017 Irish Elite Championship final.

However, even through a stop-start boxing career, Broadhurst’s ability has never been in doubt. At underage level he swept to a host of Irish titles, and has mixed it with the likes of Joe Ward, Michael O’Reilly and Caoimhin Agyarko – twice defeating the Belfast man at the Irish elite semi-final stage.

“It feels like yesterday yet it’s so long ago,” he smiles.

A five-year exodus will come to an end against the Dockers’ Conor Maguire at Derry’s Guildhall on Thursday night, in the 86kg decider, and Broadhurst is excited to have put past injury woes behind him.

“When I was 14 or 15 and I was with Ireland, I failed a medical with my back and wasn’t allowed to go away,” said the 29-year-old, who works at the Aura Dundalk Leisure Centre.

“Four or five years after that I was working, did my back in and was out again for months. I had MRI scans, went to physios… I must’ve went to about 100 physios to try and sort it out.

“Then after my last comeback, when I lost to Emmet Brennan in the Irish final, I was doing weights and my back completely went, next thing there’s an ambulance outside work, I’m going to the hospital again. After that, I thought that was me done.

“But I’m somebody who loves to set myself a challenge, and this is a big one. I have two young kids now [two-year-old Zack and three month old Vanessa], it’s a busy house, and I wanted to set a good example to them with my own training, so I decided to give boxing another go.

“I’ve been doing this sport since I was six, I go in there wanting to do well, not just hoping to do well. I need to do well. I’ve been training for this for six or seven months because I was so long out – like, my daughter was born at nine o’clock and I was at home that night, training in the house myself at midnight.

“I knew I had to push myself hard if I want to get anywhere near where I was before.”

And he knows he has some big boots to fill after a year when younger sister Amy swept the boards.

The whirlwind really began when she was invited to spar Katie Taylor ahead of the Bray woman’s epic Madison Square Garden showdown with Amanda Serrano in April. A few weeks after Taylor had her hand raised, Broadhurst followed in her footsteps by landing gold at the World Elite Championships in Turkey.

From that point, there was no looking back. The 25-year-old was in a class of her own at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, easing to another gold medal, before completing the hat-trick with a podium-topping performance at October’s European Championships – also claiming the coveted Best Boxer award in Montenegro.

Growing up in the sport, Stephen was one her heroes as he chased a path to the top. Now the shoe is on the other foot, with Amy’s achievements inspiring her big brother to get back between the ropes.

“That was a good part of it for me because, when she was growing up, I always tried to be a great role model for her. She used to listen to me a lot.

“And to see the way she has changed… like, the way she is now, that’s not how she was seven or eight years ago. She had to really work on her mental side… I used to be her number one critic behind closed doors, me and my dad. Whatever I would see, I’d say to her straight out.

“I can’t even give out to her no more – she can give out to me now! The roles have reversed because even if she has a bad day in the ring, it seems to be better than most. That shows when you’re at that next level.

“Watching Amy and all she’s done this year, I sort of thought it’s now or never for me.”

SCHEDULE

Thursday (Guildhall, Derry - 8pm start)

Special contests

48kg: Padraig Downey (St John Bosco) v TBC

54/57kg: Dylan Eagleson (St Paul’s) v Donagh Keary (Rathfriland)

57kg: Paddy McShane (Letterkenny) v Tiarnan Glennon (St Joseph’s)

75kg: Tiarnan Mayse (Two Castles) v Peter Clarke (Errigal)

92kg: Tom Seaton (Ormeau Road) v Patrick Love (Loup)

Ulster Elite Championship finals

51kg: Blaine Dobbins (St Joseph’s) v Clepson dos Santos (Holy Trinity)

52kg: Carly McNaul (Ormeau Road) v Nicole Clyde (Antrim)

60kg: Lee McKee (Star) v Teo Alin (Holy Trinity)

63.5kg: JP Hale (Star) v Anthony Malanaphy (Erne)

67kg: Cahir Gormley (Illies) v Barry McReynolds (Holy Trinity)

71kg: Eoghan Quinn (St John’s) v Jon McConnell (Holy Trinity)

80kg: Sean Donaghy (St Canice’s) v Rory Kinney (Scorpion)

86kg: Conor Maguire (Dockers) v Stephen Broadhurst (St Bronagh’s)

92+kg: Willie John McCartan (Gilford) v Thomas Maughan (Cavan)

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Sacred Heart BC, Newry stalwart Seamus McCormick, who passed away last week
Sacred Heart BC, Newry stalwart Seamus McCormick, who passed away last week Sacred Heart BC, Newry stalwart Seamus McCormick, who passed away last week

BOXING BIDS FAREWELL TO STALWART SEAMUS McCORMICK

SEAMUS McCormick, one of Ulster's longest serving amateur boxing coaches and also a founding member of the Sacred Heart club in Newry, sadly passed away last Wednesday, writes Denis O'Hara.

Born and reared in Larne, he was an active boxer in the late 1950s and early ’60s, competing out of the Star club on Belfast’s New Lodge Road.

First known as Jim in the gym headed by iconic trainer Akkie Kelly, Seamus won the County Antrim and Ulster junior light-middleweight championships, travelling three evenings a week from his home at St John's Place, Larne to take part in the legendary Kelly training programme.

Later he transferred his ring knowledge to coaching the Larne St Anthony's Club at Craigyhill, and when the gym moved to the old McKenna Memorial school building.

Some of his early ring pupils there included Dave 'Boy' McAuley, Liam Convery, Vincent Barkley, Kenny and Roy Webb, John and Vincent Shaw.

Seamus then moved to live and work in the Newry area, where he became the face and voice of the new Sacred Heart boxing club.

During his early boxing activities he also occasionally joined in sparring sessions in the old Larne Boys' Club, when it was housed in the Town Hall.

The rising ring proteges there included his younger brother Terry, Willie McWhirter, Danny Magill and a future professional middleweight, Chris 'Cassius' McAuley.

Seamus also headed the trio of the fighting McCormick clan. Terry and another brother Frank followed him to the Star gym where they all achieved international honours. Seamus made one appearance for Ireland, against Denmark in Dublin, while Terry won the Irish senior welterweight title in 1972.

Versatile Frank, an Irish League footballer and locally ranked tennis player, won the Irish middleweight title in 1974 and made international outings against Wales, England and Denmark.

He also moved to live and work in Newry after dominating the Ulster senior middleweight division when winning five championships - in 1969,1970, 1972, 1973 and 1974 - and was part of the NI team that competed ar the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.