A DONEGAL BOXING team lowered the Star Spangled Banner at The Clanree Hotel tonight in a star-studded tournament.
The Donegal team defeated the visiting Boston Boxing Academy, the locals claiming the spoils seven fights to two.
The southpaw McColes, Mark and Matthew, from Dungloe ABC, led the way for Donegal with two excellent wins, with wins, too, for Bernie McDonagh, Hugh Doherty, John Ward, Oran Shields and Lee Boyd.
Picture caption: Matthew McCole in action for Donegal against Boston’s Michael O’Hann. Picture by Geraldine Diver
Mark McCole ended the night in some style for Donegal with a unanimous win over James Perella from Boston.
McCole is the reigning Ulster Intermediate Champion, who won an Irish Colleges crown in 2014 and who previously won a Youth 2 All-Ireland title at 63kgs.
While he’s hit the crossbar on a couple of national voyages, McCole outlined here why he’s rated so highly and tipped to fulfill his promise.
The Dungloe southpaw held sway in a cagey opening and if there were any doubts as to the victor McCole had the extinguished with a rip-roaring start to the second round.
A clver right jab took full advantage of Perella’s loose guard. The bout roared to life in the third round with the boxers trading a series of blistering blows, McCole, though, had much too much about him.
His brother, Ulster 9 Counties champion Matthew McCole, was too ring smart for Michael O’Hann in a junior contest at 60kgs.
It was a well-matched bout, but clever southpaw McCole – who took a Youth 3 60kgs at this year’s 9 Counties finals, where he beat Gleann’s Caoimhinn Ferguson – showed the ring craft of a boxer beyond his years.
McCole was in and out like a yo-yo and while O’Hann gave as good as he got for the most part, the Dungloe man had too much up his sleeve.
Convoy’s double Irish Defence Forces champion Lee Boyd proved too strong for Zack Deluca.
Lee Boyd in action against Zack Deluca. Picture by Geraldine Diver
A cagey welterweight contest never really came to life, but Boyd came good at just the right time.
There had been little to separate the punchers, with Deluca winning the first round, before Boyd took over.
An economical second stanza was followed by a grinding third in which Boyd showed his worth with a neat array of shots that secured another representative win for the Finner-based soldier.
The last time a team from Boston had fought between Donegal ropes was 43 years ago in The Plaza, Buncrana.
There was a strong Donegal link to this latest installment too with Buncrana native and former boxer Mark Porter the man on the far side of the Atlantic through whom this event was arranged.
Derryman Patrick Doherty was a last-minute replacement after American Christian Callaghan had to withdraw this afternoon because of a hand injury and he put up a real battle against Letterkenny BC’s Oran Shields.
It was the Fighting Barman Shields who took the win. Doherty had the measure of the Letterkenny man in the opening round, but Shields grew into his stride the longer the fight went on.
Shields drew blood with the first blow of the third round and followed that up with two ferocious right handers.
The crimson was trickling from the St Joseph’s, Derry puncher, Doherty, by the time the fight was over and Shields had sealed a deserved win with a series of deadly jabs.
Earlier in the night, Letterkenny’s John Ward starred in a middleweight meeting with Paul Hadden.
From the first bell to the click of the hammer at the end of the final round, Ward topped the American.
In a high-octane, energy-sapping bout, Ward triumphed in style; the fist pump at the end showing just what it meant to Ward to win before a capacity crowd in his home town.
The National Registrar with the IABA, Stephen Connolly, was in attendance with IABA coach Dominic O’Rourke, Ulster Council President Paul McMahon, Ulster Council members Ben McGarrigle, Martin Walsh and Eamon Henry, as well as Derry County Board President Eugebe Duffy.
The event was sponsored by Donegal County Council, whose Mayor, Ciaran Brogan, was one of the special guests on the night, as were Councillor Gerry McMonagle and TD Joe McHugh and the Donegal County Council’s Director of Services Liam Ward.
Bernie McDonagh got the competitive action underway with a win for the host team.
The recently-crowned Irish Boy 1 36kgs champion McDonagh, from Dunfanaghy ABC, defeated Bubba Skelton of Boston.
Two weeks ago, McDonagh won his first Irish title when he defeated Jake Daly at The National Stadium and he got the night off to a winning start.
The foundation was laid in an impressive first round and, thereafter, McDonagh had enough work done and took the majority, 2-1, verdict.
Clonmany’s Hugh Doherty had no trouble in defeating Boston’s Brendan Crowley at 60kgs.
Doherty was already in command when Crowley took a public warning at the end of the second round and Doherty was energised at the outset of the third round.
The long right was a popular tool for Doherty, who was in total control of the bout.
Ulster Novice Intermediate champion Cathal Gallagher was narrowly beaten by Geo Lorenzo on a split decision.
Their light-middleweight contest swayed back and forth for the duration of its six minutes. Gallagher was a little reluctant to take a chance with his right hand when the gaps opened, but there were times when the Twin Towns man looked to have done enough, but Lorenzo eked out a cracking fight.
Raphoe’s Ruairi McGlinchey was pipped by Tom Hadden in a middleweight bout, with Hadden coming good just when McGlinchey was wilting to take a majority decision.
The night also included two female exhibition contests.
Carndonagh’s Labhaoise Clarke and Amanda Gurekki of Boston was first up, with Clarke departing for Paris tomorrow as part of an Irish selection put together by Edenderry BC.
And Twin Towns’ Irish senior finalist Donna Barr faced off with the experienced Amanda Pavone – a vertan of some 70 contests previously – in another no-decision contest.
DONEGAL v BOSTON
Boy 1 37kgs Bernie McDonagh (Dunfanaghy) beat Bubba Skelton (Boston) 2-0
Boy 4 60kgs Hugh Doherty (St Brigid’s Clonmany) beat Brendan Crowley (Boston) 3-0
Female 60kgs Labhaoise Clarke (Carndonagh) v Amanda Gurekki (Boston) – Exhibition contest
Junior 60kgs Matthew McCole (Dungloe) beat Michael O’Hann (Boston) 3-0
Junior 67kgs Dean Doherty (Carndonagh) lost to Geo Lorenzo (Boston) 1-2
Youth 2 75kgs Ruairi McGlinchey (Raphoe) lost to Tom Hadden (Boston) 1-2
Youth 2 75kgs John Ward (Letterkenny) beat Paul Hadden (Boston) 3-0
Female 54kgs Donna Barr (Twin Towns) v Amande Pevone (Boston) – Exhibition contest
Intermediate 75kgs Oran Shields (Letterkenny) beat Patrick Doherty (St Joseph’s Derry) 2-1
Intermediate 69kgs Lee Boyd (Convoy) beat Zack Deluca (Boston) 2-1
Intermediate 69kgs Mark McCole (Dungloe) beat James Perella (Boston) 3-0
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