DARREN SUTHERLAND has gone back to his roots in defence of his national senior middleweight title and he cannot believe that some people have written him off in advance of the anticipated showdown between himself and Darren O’Neill in the finals of the national senior championships at the National Stadium tomorrow night.

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.

DAVID BARRETT (Rylane) bids to emulate older brother Seanie by winning the light welterweight title at the Irish intermediate boxing championship finals at the National Stadium tonight.

Brendan Mooney

THOMAS LEE (Oughterard) and Eric Donovan (St Michael’s, Athy), members of the Irish team for the multi-nations tournament in Cork, will be in action at the national under-21 boxing championships finals at the National Stadium tonight, while a third member of the squad, Conor Ahern (Baldoyle), gets a walkover in the light flyweight division.