O’Neill has focus only on O’Reilly

London 2012 Olympian Darren O’Neill has dismissed all talk of “high fives” ahead of his middleweight final with Portlaoise BC prospect Michael O’Reilly at the Elite National Championships.

Four-time champion O’Neill TKO’d Limerick’s Derek Duhig in the third round of Saturday’s 75kg semi-final. Duhig took three standing counts in the second and didn’t answer the bell for the third after he was retired by his corner.

O’Reilly, a silver medallist at the 2011 European Youths, beat Christy Joyce on a unanimous decision in the corresponding last-four clash at Dublin’s National Stadium.

Paulstown BC’s O’Neill, who captained Team Ireland at the London Olympics, will be appearing in his eighth elite final next weekend.

He lost two of those finals to Kenneth Egan and another to Darren Sutherland in 2008.

He said: “I’ll be aiming for one title next weekend, just the one. I’m taking it one final at the time and not thinking about the fifth title. Michael [O’Reilly] is a good boy.

“He’s very, very awkward and very strong, but he’s only after stepping up from welterweight and there’s a big difference between a senior boxer and one who is only breaking into the ranks.

“I don’t think he’s going to be able to impose himself on me the way he was able to with some of the younger boys, but I know it’s not going to be an easy fight.”

Meanwhile, O’Neill’s fellow 2012 Olympian, Adam Nolan, beat Fergal Redmond on Saturday, and meets Stephen Donnelly, who surprised Beijing Olympian John Joe Joyce on a split decision, in the welter final.

Laoise Traynor is also through to the women’s welter decider in a unique double for Bray BC, while the super-heavyweight crown will be going to Tipperary after Clonmel BC stable-mates Con Sheehan, a five-time Elite champion, and Dean Gardiner both won their semi-finals on split decisions.

“It’s history for our club, it’s brilliant,” said Sheehan, who has never been beaten at elite level. !

Meantime, Joe Ward received a bye into the light-heavy decider after Sean McGlinchey withdrew due to injury. Ward will be aiming for his fourth successive title before his 21st birthday versus Matthew Tinker.

European Youth and Commonwealth Games silver medallists Gary Sweeney and Stephen Ward, along with Fionna Nelson and Claire Grace, also won their last-four contests on Saturday.

Friday’s men’s finals will open with the light-fly decider between two-time Olympic bronze medallist Paddy Barnes and Hughie Myers, the defending champion.

Barnes missed the 2013 championships because of the flu, and Myers, who Barnes beat in the 2012 final, claimed the vacant belt.

Barnes wants it back: “He’s good at what he does, but I’m just going to go out there and take it away from him,” he said.

The men’s finals will be decided on Friday night, followed by the women’s finals on Saturday. The men’s finals will be broadcast live on TG4.