Title chances up for grabs as big guns ruled out

This year’s Elite national boxing championships are only at semi-final stage but already we know that five titles will change hands this year.

Michael McDonagh (lightweight, did not enter), Paddy Barnes (light flyweight, flu victim), John Joe Nevin and Connie Sheehan (bantamweight and super-heavyweight respectively, both with hand injuries) all lost their titles without even a punch being thrown, while London 2012 Olympic boxing team captain Darren O’Neill was last Saturday beaten on countback by European U23 champion Jason Quigley in the middleweight division, a measure of the standard on display.

Still standing, however, are Michael Conlan (flyweight), Ross Hickey (light welterweight), Adam Nolan (welterweight), Joe Ward (light-heavyweight) and Tommy McCarthy (heavyweight), who last Saturday comfortably overcame the considerable challenge of Ken Okungbowa.