Boxing: Irish face tough test in Armenia

Independent.ie
Saturday May 23 2009

THE IABA’s remarkable sequence of having won medals at every
international tournament they have entered — including the Olympic
Games — since November 2007 will be put to the test in Armenia over
the next week.

A six-strong Irish squad are in Armenia for the AIBA World Junior
Championships which starts in Yerevan today.

The championships have attracted a record 51 nations and Irish coach
Jim Moore reckons it is going to be tough.

"We have put in a lot of preparation and we are quietly confident, but
it will be tough."

Sweeney planning to kick up a ‘Storm’

UNBEATEN Mayo cruiserweight Michael ‘The Storm’ Sweeney has his final
fight before starting a US campaign next month when he meets
Lancashire’s Mark Nilsen at the Events Centre in Castlebar tonight,
WRITES THOMAS MYLER.

"Michael cannot afford to lose this one as he makes his pro debut on a
national television card in Texas on June 16," said his Dublin manager,
Tommy Egan.

Irish superfeatherweight champion Eddie Hyland has a six-rounder
against Latvia’s Juris Ivanovs while Dublin lightweight Oisin Fagan
makes his first appearance since being stopped by Amir Khan in December
when he meets Bulgarian Assen Vassilev.

Lynch secures top-class crown

LEON Lynch and Gary Molloy were the first two boxers to be crowned
champions as a top-class National Youth Championships concluded with 15
finals at the National Stadium.

Lynch won after his 48kg clash with Blaine Dobbins was stopped in the
second round and Molloy emerged victorious over Chris Phelan, winning
by a four-point margin.

Michelle Chambers claimed a bantamweight title for Castlebar in the
first female final with a 6-1 win securing the 54kg Irish crown.

Sean McComb won Belfast’s first belt after beating Dublin Docklands
bantamweight Glen Holmes 7-4.