Moylette hits back after scare

Former European champion Ray Moylette bounced back after being wobbled by Alexandros Tsanikidis in yesterday’s AIBA World Elite Championships clash in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

The Mayo light-welter was stunned by a right hook from the Greek boxer in the first round of their last-64 duel but claimed the next two rounds to secure a split decision.

The Philipino judge scored the fight (30-27) to the Greek fighter, but the Polish and Belarusian judges leaned in favour of the Irishman on 29-28 scores.

Sean McComb also progressed to the last-32, the Belfast lightweight flooring Israel’s Almog Briga with a right in the first round en route to a unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-26).

“I’m glad enough to get the first fight out of the way, it gives me a bit of a lift in confidence,” said McComb.

“I thought it was going to be a little harder with no headgear on but I managed it well,” .

Moylette, a gold medal winner at the 2008 AIBA World Youths and 2011 European Elites, reckons he can take a punch with the best of them.

“He hit me one big shot at the start. I was told by Billy Walsh to watch the right hand. It nearly ended the whole championships in one go, he said.

“I came back from it, I showed now I can take a punch and go forward as well. It’s not one of the prettiest of wins, but a win is a win at the end of the day and we have something to build on.”

“It wasn’t a great performance from me. I was in there to get the job done and I got the job done. I wasn’t as cool as I should be and I just went with him to war a bit and it suited him as well.”

London 2012 Olympian Adam Nolan fights France’s Souleymane Cissokho between 10am and 11am (Irish time) this morning.

If the Bray-based Gardaí wins, the entire nine-strong Irish squad will be through to the last-32 at the 100-nation tournament.

Meanwhile, Moate BC southpaw Joe Ward will be keeping a close eye on today’s Mateusz Tryc (Poland) versus Rauf Rahimov (Azerbaijan) clash.

Ward, who received a bye into the last-32 in the light-heavyweight class, will meet the winner on Sunday in Almaty.

Ward was coasting to victory over Tryc at the European Elite Championships in Belarus this summer. But the 2011 European Elite champion twisted his left knee with 20 seconds remaining and had to retire from the tournament.