Boxers to do battle for Fight Club crown

SIXTEEN heavyweights, some of whom have never stepped inside a ring before, will battle it out in what promoters have billed Fight Club night after the bare-knuckle film.

But any punters expecting blood on the canvas will be disappointed, as the organisers of the event promise the fights will be strictly within the Queensbury rules.

In the first event of its kind in Ireland, the competition pits heavy and light heavy contestants against each other. The 16 amateurs will fight at least one two, one and-a-half-minute rounds.

“Some of them are ex-boxers, some of them have never been in the ring before,” said organiser Dean Smith, who said he imported the idea for the event from the US where he says it is hugely popular. It is the first event he has promoted.

“It’s being done on a really big scale in the US and I am trying to bring it to Ireland and have others in the future,” he said.

Describing the evening as more than about boxing, Mr Smith said he hoped to sell most of the 2,000 seats in the south Dublin arena, the National Stadium. The event in the home of amateur boxing will be hosted by Eurosport commentator Steve Holdsworth.

The Irish Amateur Boxing Federation has played no role in organising the event. One staff member said yesterday: “We are only hiring out the hall. I wish there was as much interest in real amateur boxing matches like the international on tonight.”

The 16 fighters will be chosen from a pool of 30 selected from dozens who applied. Auditions were held last week and those selected had to be fit and have a certain amount of boxing ability. Each man will have a medical ahead of the bouts.

Men of all ages applied, including a 59-year-old. “He’s an ex-boxer but he won’t be fighting. He will be in one of the corners,” said Smith.