Conlan off to flyer with stunning win in Baku

MICHAEL CONLAN got Ireland off to a flying start at the World Boxing Championships in Baku yesterday when he thrashed European bronze medallist Alexandr Riscan (Moldova) 25-12 in a thrilling flyweight contest.

The 19-year-old Belfast man, who boxes out of the famed St John Bosco club, scored with some brilliant combinations, solid left hooks while, all the time, working overtime with his jab.

And while Olympic qualification may still be a bit away for Conlan, this performance left IABA president Tommy Murphy ecstatic.

“Michael could not have been any more impressive,” he said. “He was aggressive from the beginning. Each time the Moldovan came forward he was able to slip him and came back with big left hooks. Michael sparred him at the last training camp in Cologne before coming out here and he knew what he was like.”

In a move bordering on the ridiculous, both Billy Walsh and Director of Boxing, Dominic O’Rourke, have been barred from speaking to the press while in Baku.

Meanwhile the new European flyweight champion, Welshman Andy Selby, may well be waiting in the long grass for Conlan.

Selby won every round emphatically yesterday en route to a 28-16 victory over Hesham Abdelaal (Egypt) to earn his place in the last 32. If he is to touch gloves with Conlan it will be in the last 16, in a battle for Olympic qualification on October 4.

Conlan’s next bout will be on Sunday against Olzhas Sattibayev (Kazakhstan) who beat Abdelfattah Nafil (Morocco) 14-7 yesterday.

Ireland do not have a boxer in action today but welterweight Roy Sheahan (St Michael’s, Athy) is in action against Carl Hield (Bahamas) tomorrow. Sheahan needs three wins to qualify for the Olympics.