Box-off win ensures Joyce makes most of lifeline

DAVID OLIVER JOYCE claimed the featherweight berth on the Irish team for next month’s European Boxing Championships when outpointing Carl Frampton in a box-off at the Central Council Tournament in the National Stadium at the weekend.

Joyce thought he had missed the boat when a virus forced him to pull out of the open tournament, which was staged to help select the team.

He was thrown a lifeline, however, when Frampton’s camp agreed to the box-off. Fans were treated to a thriller and the High Performance head coach, Billy Walsh, was delighted.