Joyce primed for Carlyle showdown

JOHN JOE JOYCE (St. Michael’s, Athy) faces a showdown with reigning light welterweight champion Aodh Carlyle at the National Stadium tomorrow with a place on the Irish team for the EU boxing championships the prize.

Carlyle reclaimed a national senior title early this year but his position as the No 1 light welterweight came under threat from the Joyce dynasty once John Joe, the reigning lightweight champion, stepped up a division.

That move immediately opened up a new opportunity for Joyce’s St. Michael’s ABC clubmate, Eric Donovan, to stake his claim to a place in the Irish team.

Donovan had been a regular on all the Irish teams until another clubmate, David Oliver Joyce, relinquished his bantamweight title to contest the featherweight division and stripped him of his title when they met in the senior finals.

Donovan later stepped up a division to box against Russia in recent back to back internationals at the National Stadium and in Athlone.

David Oliver Joyce has been nursing a damaged hand for some time now and his place at featherweight on the team for the EU has gone to Carl Frampton (Midlands White City).

Light heavyweight, Kenneth Egan, has recovered from his hand injury and is named on the team. He has won gold, silver and bronze medals at previous EU championships.

The championships take place from June 18-23 at the National Stadium with a record 21 nations taking part and the President of the world governing body (AIBA), Dr Ching-Kuo Wu, will be in attendance.

The Irish team is: 48Kg, Paddy Barnes (Holy Family); 51Kg, Conor Ahern (Baldoyle); 54Kg, Ryan Lindberg (Immaculata); 57Kg, Carl Frampton (Midlands White City); 60Kg, Eric Donovan (St Michael’s Athy); 64Kg, John Joe Joyce (St Michael’s Athy) or Aodh Carlyle (Golden Cobra); 69Kg, Roy Sheehan (St Michael’s Athy); 75Kg, Darren Sutherland (St Saviours OBA); 81Kg, Ken Egan (Neilstown); 91Kg, John Sweeney (Dungloe); 91Kg+, Cathal McMonagle (Holy Trinity).