Hyland out after sparring injury

THERE has not been a punch thrown in anger but already Cork’s Billy Walsh has made a dramatic impression on the forthcoming professional boxing show at Cork City Hall, erasing talented Dubliner, Patrick Hyland, from the programme.

Both boxers where to feature on the star-studded bill staged by Nowhere to Hyde Promotions on Saturday, August 18, but Hyland suffered a cracked rib in a sparring session with Billy Walsh last Friday and is now out of the show.

“It is very unfortunate,” promoter Gary Hyde admitted yesterday. “People don’t realise how seriously the boxers take those sparring sessions and there is always the danger that something like this will happen.

“But, right now, Billy (Walsh) is in the shape of his life and I think fans will see a vastly improved fighter at City Hall on August 18.”

Hyde, who promoted an exciting debut sell-out show at Cork City Hall in February, is delivering on his promise to make professional boxing a regular fixture on the Cork sporting calendar by staging two professional tournaments a year in the city.

“City Hall is a fantastic venue — full of history — I know how much people enjoyed our first promotion and this next one promises to be even better,” he said.

In February, Neil Sinclair chose the venue to successfully relaunch his career but his reappearance at City Hall will be even more important for him this time around.

He was taking a major step towards a shot at the British title when he met Francis Jones on the undercard to the Dunne-Walstad European title fight at The Point and he was winning hands down until he was caught by a couple of big shots that left referee David Irving no option but to bring an end to the proceedings in the fifth round.

Now the Belfast welterweight wants to get back on track in Cork where he will be joined by reigning Irish light heavyweight champion, Jason McKay.

McKay is another man with big fights on his mind. The Banbridge puncher was the last man to get a verdict over middleweight sensation John Duddy when they met in the amateur ranks. Now he wants to repeat that feat in the pro game and a win in Cork could set him up for a Duddy showdown.

If there was one thing the February show lacked, it was a heavyweight contest but that will be rectified this time around with the inclusion of unbeaten Mayo heavyweight Declan Timlin.

The Rossport bruiser who trains under the legendary Sean Mannion started his career in New York and racked up three straight wins before making his Irish debut at the National Stadium on the Duddy undercard earlier this month, when he made it four wins from four.

Already there is a huge demand on tickets with the ringside all but sold out.