Refreshed Egan cuts it short
Walsh had already taken two standing counts when referee Martin Fennessy called the ringside doctor to examine his damaged nose and medical advice left him with no option but to stop the contest with Egan totally dominant.
“It went all right. A win’s a win,” Egan said.
“I picked him off with some hard shots. He did not really hit me with anything but still it wasn’t polished. I’ll peak next week. I’m in good shape — fitness wise — my engine was just in second gear there. I’m feeling good.
“I would have liked to get three rounds out of it. But I’m getting plenty of sparring anyway. The hard work is done now. I’m just tapering down and peaking on Friday. The real match is on. It will be great for the country, great for the clubs around Ireland.
“I’m in a better place [than before last year’s loss to Ward]. That’s all I’m going to say. It shows in the ring and it shows in my training and everything else. I’m happy and once I’m happy it gets me out of bed when I’m fighting for titles.
“I’m sure the whole country is looking forward to this fight. Everyone’s talking about it. I’m just looking forward to fighting. It’s about going out and performing.
“When I was fighting last year in [the Olympic Test tournament] London I found I had the hunger back again. I was four down going into the second round and I asked myself ‘do I really want this?’ and I got up off the stool and I brought it back. I was back down to 81kg as well, heavyweight wasn’t my weight, I know that.”
Saturday night’s programme featured two thrillers involving four boxers from the high-flying St Michael’s club in Athy.
At lightweight David Oliver Joyce and Eric Donovan again touched gloves and, this time, it swung Joyce’s favour as the Mullingar man claimed his place in the final with a 16-11 victory.
When the pair fought in the infamous box-off last summer they were tied at 16 points apiece after three action-packed rounds before victory went to Donovan on countback, 91-88.
And after a 3-3 opening round last night it appeared as if another close contest might be on the cards with Joyce trying to pin down the elusive southpaw. It was punch for punch again until Joyce began to get through with some double hooks to the body and a stinging straight right hand to the head to win the round 8-4.
“I started off a bit slow but I did not want to rush into him.” Joyce said.
“He was throwing a lot of punches but there was nothing in them while I had a bit of a sting in my punches tonight.
“Once I got the lead he had to come to me and that’s more my style of fighting. Right now I’m not looking past McDonagh. He beat me last year so there is a score to settle.”
Last year Joyce, who has won four senior titles at bantamweight and at feather, was disqualified in the final, handing the title to Michael McDonagh (St Mary’s) who will be defending it next Friday night.
European bronze medallist, John Joe Joyce, a cousin of David Oliver, has been battling it out with his clubmate Roy Sheahan since he moved up to welterweight after the Beijing Olympics
On Saturday night he came on top, 15-9, after another thrilling contest.
“He’s a world-class boxer and I expected it would be close and looking back at it now he could have won the fight,” Joyce said.
“Today’s fight was about tactics, not about who’s the better man. Your brain plays a lot of games with you. It tries to mess with you at times.
“Today I held it together. I want to thank Jimmy Payne, the corner man, who came up from Waterford to help me out.
“It’s great to have Jimmy around. He has great belief in me.
“I must have gone over that fight 200 times in my mind the last week — what I’m going to do what I’m not going to do — but last night I switched off and got some sleep.
“It’s all about belief and tonight I believed. Next week I have a tough one. Adam Nolan is the champion and he is in top form.
“It’s another week and it’s a national final. I’ve won four senior titles. I’ve been knocked out.
“ I’ve been down and out. Now I’m just going back to do what I used to do — that’s the old Johnny Joyce.
Last year it was a tight guard — this year it’s more positive. Belief and enjoying it — that’s the secret.”
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