Super Sutherland takes centre stage

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.

The defending champions will be in action at featherweight, where Eric Donovan (St Michael’s, Athy) meets Willie Casey (OLOL), lightweight where John Joe Joyce (St Michael’s, Athy) meets Karl Crawley (Glasnevin), welterweight where Roy Sheahan (St Michael’s) meets Fergal Redmond (Arklow), middleweight where Darren Sutherland (St Saviours) meets last year’s runner-up, Edward Healy (Portlaoise) and super heavy where Anthony Crampton (St Broughan’s) meets Martin Sweeney (Drimnagh).

All eyes will be on Darren Sutherland, who won the middleweight title for the first time last year and he is unlikely to be offered a serious challenge either by Eddie Healy or the winner of tomorrow night’s semi-final between experienced Eamon O’Kane from Immaculata in Belfast and Sean Shevlin from Dundalk.