McDonagh faces career defining showdown

ARTHUR McDONAGH from Fermoy will have the perfect opportunity to put the disappointment of the recent national championships behind him when he travels to Germany tomorrow for back-to-back boxing tournaments in Berlin.

The two-time national champion and a former Four Nations gold medallist lost in the final of this year’s Boy 4 championship at the National Stadium.

In what was an unusual decision — the computer failed to register a scoring point for him in either the first or last rounds.

At the weekend he faces one of the most important assignments of his career when he meets the German champion in his class, Alexander Sokolowski, who has won 64 of his 68 bouts.

Another former national champion, Tommy Kiely (Glen), is among the guests on the Fermoy team. A former European Cadets bronze medallist, he will meet Tmor Itz as he takes his career to a new level.

In all 13 boxers will represent the Fermoy Boys and Girls Boxing Club on the trip which organiser, Pa Flynn, describes as a reward for what has been a great season.

Former national champion from Fermoy, Daniel Murphy, comes back from a broken hand to box Phoe Krechlock while young William McDonagh makes his debut against Tobias Zenke.

Shane Williams from the St. Francis club in Limerick, a two time national champion, meets Tyrone Zeugelvan and Ivan Mulcahy meets Alezander Maurer while another Limerick man, Joe Griffin (Corpus Christi) meets Nick Hannig in an intermediate middleweight contest.

Experienced Fergus Turner from the St. Ibars club in Enniscorthy, meets German star, Amrico Kolling.

Ciara Noonan will be out for revenge when she meets Ornella Wachner.

When the pair touched gloves in Fermoy in February she lost by one point and now she will be determined to reverse that decision.

Kelly Harrington is another boxer with a big future and she will also be in action as will Laura Connolly who meets Mandy Koschinski.