BOXING:THERE ARE 10 elite men's finals in the National Stadium tonight and one elite women's final and it won't involve Katie Taylor. This year the reigning world champion Taylor again receives the respect of her colleagues and has no opposition. She already owns the lightweight title following another walkover, which will leave much of the night's attention to fall on light heavyweight and Olympic bronze medallist Ken Egan, who is on the hunt for his 11th successive senior title.
The Neilstown southpaw has never been beaten in the Elite Championships since winning his first title in 2001 and seeks to pocket a number of records on his way towards maintaining the most consistent winning run in the IABA’s 100 year history.
Two of his titles have been won at middleweight and the rest in the heavier division but if he beats 17-year-old Joe Ward, a Junior World Championship gold medallist in 2009, he will surpass Jim O’Sullivan’s record of 10 successive senior wins. O’Sullivan collected his senior belts in the 1980s and 1990s.
Also at risk is Mick Dowling’s eight consecutive wins in the same weight category. Dowling achieved that in the bantamweight division in the 1960s and 1970s with Egan setting his heart on his ninth in the light heavyweight class. His bout has been brought forward to suit television and will be the fifth fight on the card with the championships starting at 7.45pm.
Another Olympic medal winner Paddy Barnes is also in action. Barnes, from Belfast, is Ireland’s most prolific medal collector at international level and comes in as favourite for his fifth light flyweight title.
Last year the 23-year-old was European champion and bridged a 19-year gap with Paul Griffin in 1991 who was the last Irishman to achieve that level of performance. Barnes also won the gold medal in India for Northern Ireland at last year’s Commonwealth Games.
Eye-catching too is John Joe Nevin’s bantamweight meeting with Holy Family’s Tyrone McCullough. Nevin, who also fights professionally from Paris, faces last year’s bronze medallist at the European Championships and the 2010 Irish featherweight champion. The 54kg bantamweight and 57kg featherweight categories have been amalgamated at 56 kg with Nevin, hardened and moving well from his more demanding five round fights in Europe, will go in as favourite.
