Persistence rewarded as McMonagle advances

CATHAL McMONAGLE was rewarded for perseverance last night when the referee stopped his super heavyweight contest with 30 seconds remaining to send him through to tomorrow’s quarter final stages of the European Union boxing championships at the National Stadium.

McMonagle, boxing Kurban Gunebakan (Turkey), a bronze medallist two years ago, trailed 6-2 at the end of the first round when the Turk got through with some accurate punches. He came forward more in the second but was still getting caught with left hook that extended Gunebakan’s lead to 10-5. He started the third round well but was caught by the left jab as he came forward.

Facing a 10 point deficit going into the final round, McMonagle hunted his man down and eventually caught him with a big left that resulted in damage to the Turk’s right eye and the referee stopped the contest in favour of the Donegal man with the Turk leading 21-11.

Elsewhere John Sweeney took a standing count after a succession of accurate left hands at the start of the second round left him in serious trouble in his tie with defending champion John Michael M’Bumba.

That was after he withstood an early onslaught from the Frenchman who caught him with a big left at the end of the first round which he won 9-4. He was 16-7 up at the end of the second with Sweeney still coming forward. With M’Bumba showing first signs of fatigue, Sweeney won the third round 4-3, went into the fourth round trailing 19-11. He went after his man in the fourth and won the round 10-6 with victory going down to the defending champion 25-21.

Meanwhile Irish boxing’s High Performance Director, Gary Keegan, sees tomorrow’s quarter finals as a vital yardstick in Olympic qualification for his boxers and two in particular.

John Joe Joyce, the national lightweight champion, has moved up to light welter as part of his national progression and his St. Michael’s clubmate, Eric Donovan, who was stripped of his bantamweight title by another clubmate, David Oliver Joyce, has stepped up to fill the vacancy left at lightweight.

Today both will face defending champions in the quarter finals of the European Union Championships.

Donovan meets Domenico Valentino (Italy), bronze medallist at the world championships and a European silver medallist, who is going for his fourth successive title here while Joyce’s opponent, Gyula Kate (Hungary) is going for three-in-a-row.

“The fact that both are appearing for the very first time in their respective divisions makes those landmark contests,” Keegan insisted. “Eric (Donovan) has been operating at featherweight up to now and he is still not a full blown lightweight. The fact that he is boxing a top ranked boxer and how close he is to him at the end of the fight will tell us exactly where we are at.

“The same can be said of Johnny (Joyce). He was a slow developer physically and he is still that bit short of the weight. But I was very impressed with him last night. Technically he was very good. He has boxed two big tournaments at senior level but this is his first major championship and if he goes four rounds without any problems and is anyway close to a boxer who is also ranked in the top five then we will be very happy. If he should win then, of course, we will be ecstatic.”

“I am ready for anyone,” declared Donovan. “I am not interested in avoiding anybody now. Valentino is very good. The last time I boxed him was here in the National Stadium and I beat him then. It was a very good fight. I remember it was a brilliant fight.

“He is a seasoned amateur – probably one of the best in the world – and he is going for four in a row here. That is his plan but I am up for it and I would like to think that I can spoil the party for him.”

Flyweight Conor Ahern, recovered from a back injury, also faces a defending champion in this evening’s quarter finals when he goes in against Salim Salimov from Bulgaria.

Irish Boxers in action in today’s Quarter Finals:

Afternoon Session: Light Flyweight: Paddy Barnes v Nordine Oubaali (France); Flyweight: Conor Ahern v Salim Salimov (Bulgaria); Bantamweight: Ryan Lindberg v Rudolph Dydi (Slovakia).

Evening Session: Featherweight: Karl Frampton v Denis Zabins (Latvia); Lightweight: Eric Donovan v Demenico Valentino (Italy); Light Welterweight: John Joe Joyce v Gyula Kate (Hungary).