Hard-hitting Joyce steps up in style

IRELAND’S amateur boxers got off to a flying start in the multi-nations tournament in Zagreb — the Zlatio Hebid 2007 — yesterday with David Oliver Joyce particularly impressive in his fourth round stoppage of Amtomin Lazoc (Czech Republic) in a hard-hitting featherweight contest.

Joyce, who campaigned at bantamweight last year when he held the national title, made the move up to featherweight for this year’s national senior championships and stripped his clubmate, Eric Donovan, of the crown in an enthralling final at the National Stadium.

And he highlighted the fact that he can operate at the weight at international level with an exhibition of combination punching against the Czech in yesterday’s opener, leading all the way until the referee stopped the contest.

Earlier, experienced flyweight Conor Ahern opened the Irish account with a 40-23 victory over Amine Lameri of France.

The Dubliner, who had to pull out all the stops against Shane Cox from Gorey in this year’s senior championships, put some delightful combinations together to edge clear of the Frenchman.

There was also a big win for 18-year-old debutant Ryan Lindberg from Belfast in the bantamweight contest in which he outpunched and outpointed another Frenchman, Amine Erumerdach, 41-26.

Lindberg was presented with the Irish Examiner Junior Sports Star Award for boxing a week earlier in recognition of a spectacular 2006 during which he won national junior and U20 championships before going on to claim the title vacated by David Oliver Joyce with a narrow 19-18 victory over Kevin Fennessy from Clonmel at the senior championships last month.

That victory appears to have worked wonders for his confidence as he challenged Erumerdach for control of the ring in the first round and then matched the Frenchman punch for punch to record a significant victory in his first senior international.

Aodh Carlyle, who reclaimed the senior title after a lapse of some 10 years, lost out to Mersed Malicevic of Serbia on countback after the computer tied them at 24 points apiece and exciting light welterweight contest. On countback the Serbian won by just four hits, 95-91.

European bronze medallist Kenneth Egan also had a short route to victory. His light-heavyweight contest against Ktomas Kovacs from Slovakia was stopped by the referee in the third round.

Heavyweight Ian Timms retired in the first round of his contest against Ivica Bacurin from Croatia. When he did not recover after taking a shot, his corner retired him.

Today middleweight Darren Sutherland will have his first international contest since he sustained a serious eye injury last May.

Ireland will have seven boxers in action in today’s semi-finals including Darren Sutherland, lightweight John Joe Joyce and super heavyweight Cathal McMonagle.