DARREN SUTHERLAND and Darren O’Neill took different routes but each had decisive semi-final victories to qualify for tonight’s middleweight showdown at the finals of the national championships at the National Stadium.

DARREN SUTHERLAND packed eight months of frustration into five minutes of boxing last night before he stopped Eddie Healy (Portlaoise) midway through the third round of the middleweight semi-final at the National Stadium.

WITH no light heavyweights in action, five holders will take the defence of their titles to the penultimate stage when the semi-finals of the national senior boxing championships get underway at the National Stadium tonight.

WITH the national championships starting tomorrow night week at the National Stadium, boxing fans are looking forward to the seemingly inevitable middleweight battle between champion Darren Sutherland and challenger Darren O’Neill.