O’Neill throws down gauntlet to Sutherland

DARREN O’NEILL has thrown down a challenge to Darren Sutherland for the middleweight place in next year’s Olympic Qualifiers.

Understudy to Sutherland since moving down to middleweight, he could not believe his luck when the Dubliner was eliminated from the world championships in Chicago.

And it sets up a sensational showdown between Ireland’s two top amateur middleweights at the national championships next year.