Tony Christie pays homage to his Mayo roots with a new album, writes Ed Power

Boxing: Jamie Conlan admitted the fervent support of Irish fans almost brought tears to his eyes after his sensational “Rocky Balboa” like comeback at a sold-out National Stadium on Saturday night.

Q: Why did you choose the hard life of professional boxing?

Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan wants to follow the path of Steve Collins and Andy Lee by booking a world-title shot Stateside with his next fight set for Madison Square Garden.

A spring world-title date for Carl Frampton against American Chris Avalos could lead to a summer showdown against English rival Scott Quigg.

While Matthew Macklin suffered a heart-breaking defeat on Saturday night, his middleweight compatriot Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan staked his claim to be Ireland’s premier 160lb fighter with a brutal one-round knockout of Dubliner Anthony Fitzgerald at the 3Arena.

While Matthew Macklin is the star attraction of this weekend’s fight card at the 3 Arena, more evidence was offered at the final pre-fight press conference to suggest that the bitter showdown between Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan and Anthony Fitzgerald will steal the show as their war of words spilled over into a physical altercation, followed by a kiss yesterday.

Irish middleweight Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan believes a new approach to training and preparation has him stronger and sharper ahead of his grudge match with Dublin’s Anthony Fitzgerald.

Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan will be back in big-time boxing action next month after the announcement that his fight with Anthony Fitzgerald has been rescheduled for November 15.

It’s very nearly five years since Poonsawat Kratingdaenggm floored Bernard Dunne and thousands of onlookers at the O2, but Matthew Macklin has promised that he is the man to finally bring big-time boxing back to this country.

Matthew Macklin is hoping his Dublin return on August 30 will set up Ireland’s answer to Froch-Groves II before the end of the year.

Cork’s Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan is confident he can beat British 2008 Olympian Billy Joe Saunders in London on Saturday.

The professional boxing season has thrown up several dramatic fights and one master class from ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd Mayweather in recent weeks.

Middleweight Andy Lee has inked a deal to fight Detroit veteran Darryl Cunningham in Washington DC next month.

Last Saturday night I out-boxed a very determined man in Anthony Fitzgerald. Considering it was my first fight in nine months and my first under a new coach, I’m happy to take the points win.

Andy Lee had his expected win in this high-profile middleweight contest in Belfast’s Odyssey Arena on Saturday, but not in the expected manner.

Carl Frampton hopes an impressive victory in the Odyssey Arena tonight will help secure a coveted world title shot.

Kiko Martinez made it to Belfast for fight week at the third time of asking, and at yesterday’s ‘Unfinished Business’ press conference vowed he won’t be leaving the city without his European title.

Tomorrow night in Belfast I will step back into the ring and start a new phase of my career. I’m facing Anthony Fitzgerald from Dublin.

Irish middleweight Andy Lee will face Anthony Fitzgerald at Belfast’s Odyssey Arena on February 9.

We scan a selection of starter homes from around the country.

THIS year is certainly better than 2010 in that enquiries are up, says Anthony Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald & Associates, Dingle.

THE spotlight may be on Willie “Big Bang” Casey’s clash with WBA champion Guillermo Rigondeaux tonight but another Irishman, Brian Magee, bids for the IBF world super-middleweight title in Montreal in the early hours of tomorrow morning.

ANTHONY FITZGERALD was handed the opportunity of a lifetime with a shot at the EBA European middleweight title as chief support bout to the Guillermo Rigondeaux-Willie Casey WBA title fight at City West on March 19 but he was also handed a difficult opponent in Affif Belghecham.

WILLIE ‘Big Bang’ Casey could be the ideal opponent for the two-time Olympic champion Guillermo Rigondeaux, according to the Cuban’s manager Gary Hyde.

LUIS “The Lion” Garcia said he will be ready for a world title fight next year after disposing of Byron Mitchell inside four minutes at the University Arena in Limerick on Saturday night.

A rib injury has ruled Kiko Martinez out of his European title showdown with Willie “Big Bang” Casey on the Hunky Dorys Fight Night at the UL Arena on Saturday, November 6th.

BALLINACOURTY cruised into the Waterford SFC final with an impressive second-half display at Walsh Park on Saturday.

WILLIE CASEY is first in line for a shot at the European super bantamweight title which Spaniard, Kiko Martinez, reclaimed with a points victory over Arsen Martirosyan at the National Stadium on Saturday night.

WITH two European titles, one Irish title and several reputations on the line, tonight’s mammoth nine-bout televised Hunky Dorys Fight Night at the National Stadium is overflowing with promise.

CORK’S adopted Cubans, Luis Garcia and Alexei Acosta, can speed their progress up the professional boxing rankings over the coming weeks with back-to-back appearances on the European title fight undercards at the National Stadium tomorrow night and then Letterkenny on October 2.

WILLIE “Big Bang” Casey says he is the one who’ll be gunning for Kiko Martinez once he takes care of business tomorrow night against Italian super bantamweight, Emiliano Salvini, at CityWest Hotel where Dolphil Promotions stage a 10-fight card with Limerick’s Prizefighter top of the bill.

KIKO MARTINEZ is all set to return to Dublin in a bid to reclaim the European super bantamweight title that he took from Bernard Dunne at the old Point three years ago, and he said yesterday that he is hoping his achievement in winning back the title will lure the Dubliner out of retirement for a return fight.

GARY “Spike” O’Sullivan has signed a three-year contract with promoter Frank Warren and will make his debut on a show in Glasgow on September 4 which will be screened live on Sky television.

THE Flat Crab House is a simple, dormer bungalow in the simply beautiful village of Cloghane, Co Kerry.

ANDY MURRAY not only wants to win tonight’s Irish lightweight title fight with Oisin ‘Gael Force’ Fagan when they headline the Yanjing Fight Night at the National Stadium in Dublin – he wants to do it with style.

THE emphasis will be on the four Irish title fights on the bill, but Cork-based Cuban knockout sensation, Alexei Acosta, is sure to claim a fair share of the limelight when he steps up in class to box former world champion, Felix Machado, in a unique Latin-American duel on the Yanjing Fight Night at the National Stadium tomorrow night.

ALTHOUGH the guide price of this detached house at Burnham, Dingle is quite strong at €600,000, it does have a number of strong selling points.

PAUL HYLAND turned in the best performance of his career when he stopped Eugene Heagney 2 minutes and 45 secs into the third round in his defence of his Irish super bantamweight title and emerged as a possible opponent for the former world champion, Bernard Dunne.

MATTHEW ‘Mack the Knife’ Macklin has big plans for next year but the European and British middleweight champion knows they will be meaningless unless he beats Uruguayan light-middleweight champ, Rafael Sosa Pintos, when they headline the televised Sierra Fight Night at the National Stadium tonight.