Francie Barrett was less than convincing when qualifying for next Friday's finals of the National Senior Boxing Championships at the National Stadium on Saturday.
Barrett was pushed to the brink by young Ulster champion Paul McCloskey of the St Canice's club. A great battle of southpaws saw Barrett build a 7-2 lead after two rounds but the courageous McCloskey powered his way back into the fight, winning the last two rounds but losing out overall 1514.
"I told you it was gong to be tough for me. He is a very slippery character and has a great future. For me that was my final. My left jab won it for me," said a relieved Barrett. McCloskeys eagerness to get on with it and his short-styled uppercut shots to Barrett's body contributed to the excitement.
The result set the stage for an all Barrett light welter final, or does it, for after Cork's Seanie Barrett won the first semi-final by beating the reigning champion Mark Wickham, the St Anthony's-St Patrick's club in Wexford lodged an objection on behalf of Wickham.
The Wexford club claim that an IABA rule was broken by jury markings having been used for the first round when the computer was down. Ironically, the jury vote for the first round was 2-1 in Wickham's favour.
Barrett, who took a standing count of eight in the first round, said that it was a tough fight that could have gone either way.
Semi-finals: Fly - D Campbell (Glin) bt K Butler (St Colmans) stp rnd 2. Feather - B Dunne (CIE) bt M O'Kane (Monkstown) stp rnd 2; T Carlyle (Sacred Heart) bt N Hazlett (St Brigid's) 20-1. Light welter - S. Barrett (Rylane) bt M Markham (St Anthony's-St Patrick's) 9-8; F Barrett (Olympic) bt P McCloskey (St Canice's). Light middle - M Roche (Sunnyside) bt J Duddy (Ring) 6-4; F O'Brien (Drimnagh) bt K Whelan (St Michadel's, Athy) KO rnd 1. Light heavy - T Sheahan (St Michael's, Athy) WO; A Kelly (Brosna) scr; A Reynolds (St Joseph's) bt T Donnelly (Mark Heagney) 21-17. Super heavy - J Kinsella (Crumlin) bt C Kenna (Mount Tallant) stp rnd 2; J McDonagh (St Anne's, Westport) bt B Kirrane (Corpus Christi) stp rnd 2.
Roberto Duran lost to Argentinian Omar Gonzalez on a unanimous points decision in a 10-round middleweight bout in Buenos Aires on Saturday night. The former world champion at four different weights had no answer for Gonzalez, dubbed the Prince, who was clearly in better condition and more hungry than Duran.
Birmingham middleweight Robert McCracken stretched his unbeaten record to 33 fights by stopping American Steve Fisher after nine rounds of their scheduled 10-round non-title bout in Atlantic City on Saturday night. Fisher signalled before the start of the 10th that he could not continue.
