John Joe ready to do it the hard way again

JOHN JOE Joyce faces a really tough assignment in defence of his welterweight crown when the National senior boxing championships get underway at the National Stadium tonight.

The Mullingar man, who boxes out of the St. Michael’s club in Athy, has always had to do it the hard way. In the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics he missed out on qualification at the world championships in Chicago but bounced back to qualify in style in Athens.

In Beijing, he turned in a masterclass to beat Guyala Kate from Hungary, the man who had beaten him in the quarter-finals at the world championships. He beat him decisively, 9-5, in a thriller before losing out on countback to Filix Diaz (Dominican Republic) in a fight that should have gone his way. After that he went to the European championships in Liverpool where he won a bronze medal but then found himself struggling with the weight in 2009.

Last year he moved up to welterweight where he stripped Donegal’s Willie McLoughlin (Illies GG) of the title in a thrilling toe-to-toe final. Again, in the European championships, he got the difficult side of the draw and, after two big wins, went out in the quarter-finals.

This year, more to break the monotony than anything else, he went to box for Miami in the WSB and won his debut contest.

“I enjoyed Miami,” he said. “It was something different and it kept me in shape. I was able to get in some really good training without any distractions. From that point of view it was good.”

But he is under no illusions about the task ahead of him over the next three weekends when he defends his title in a division that has attracted 18 entries.

“I could possibly have to box twice this weekend,” he said. “Welterweight is probably the most competitive division in the championships and it has always been that way. I am ready for it. I could box twice in one day if necessary. It is all about whoever is best prepared and I don’t think I could have done anything more.”

He may come up against his clubmate and best friend Roy Sheahan once again; Joyce won last year’s bout 8-2.

His cousin, former champion David Oliver Joyce, is another who has been through the wars at the nationals and again the destination of the title could be decided between St. Michael’s clubmates David Oliver and defending champion Eric Donovan.

Another Mullingar man, John Joe Nevin, won the silver medal at bantamweight at those championships and he has been boxing for Paris in the WSB where he has lost just once in the team competition and is in line for the individual competition. One victory in the individual competition — bouts are over seven rounds — would guarantee him a place in the London Olympics next year.

Katie Taylor has just one opponent in her quest for a second national senior title. She has already won three world and four European titles but the Women’s Elite Championships were inaugurated last year. The opposition for the final on February 25 will be Carly McNaul (Eastside).