Double delight for stylish Donovan

ERIC DONOVAN (St. Michael’s, Athy) produced one of the best ever performances to outpoint his clubmate, David Oliver Joyce, 17-10 and retain his lightweight title when the National senior boxing championships concluded at the National Stadium on Saturday night.

Donovan, who was voted Best Boxer of the Tournament, took an early lead and had enough in hand to hold off Joyce who won titles at bantamweight and featherweight before moving up to lightweight.

The defending champion did not wait around in his bid to exact revenge for the final three years ago when Joyce stripped him of his featherweight title. He forced the Mullingar man to take a standing count from a big left hook to the top of the head and then came out best in the toe to toe punch-up that followed, picking up points from some swift multi-punch combinations to win the opening round 11-2.

Joyce pulled three points back early the second round and went on to win the round 5-1 but Donovan was still in the driving seat going into the third and Joyce cut the deficit to four points when hostilities resumed with Donovan on the back foot.

Sensing victory Joyce now pushed his man back, caught him with some big shots and for a brief moment it appeared as if he might just pull it off before Donovan rallied for a storming finish that produced three quick points and he retained his title with a 17-10 victory.

“I had a brilliant first round and that is the key,” Donovan said. “I have been working on that for so long because if you look at the fights 90% of the guys who win the first round end up winning the fights.

“I had all the tactics so it was all about sticking to them in the first round. I knew if I stuck to them I had a great chance. He is super fit. He stays down low on his feet and he does not burn up that much energy so he is very strong on his legs.

Now he is looking forward to the international against the Italians next week and renewing acquaintances with the world champion, Domenicio Valentino.

“I’m looking forward to fighting Valentino again,” he said. “We are no strangers to each other. We have met three times. It’s 2-1 to him and it would be very nice to even it up next weekend.

John Joe Nevin (Cavan), a bronze medallist at last year’s world championships, was the overwhelming favourite going in to defend his bantamweight title for a second time against Derek Thorpe (St. Aidan’s), a finalist back in 2005, but he could never put enough daylight between himself and the Wexford man until he forced a standing count in the third round and he went on to win 7-5.

Conor Ahern (Baldoyle) winner of two Irish senior titles at light flyweight and two more at flyweight, failed to reclaim the flyweight title he lost two years ago when he lost 6-5 to 2008 U21 champion Gary Molloy (Moate).

Katie Taylor and Ukranian Julia Tsyplakova were back in the ring on Saturday night and this time the world and European champion was more convincing, winning 19-4. On Friday night she was disappointed after beating Tsyplakova 10-2.