Nevin back with a bang after US win

London 2012 silver medallist John Joe Nevin believes Floyd Mayweather wouldn’t have got off the floor from the punch that sealed his comeback win at the Ring of Dreams Gym in North Carolina on Saturday night.

Nevin KO’d North Carolina’s Calvin Stifford 86 seconds into the first round in his first fight back since his two legs were broken in an horrific assault near his home in Mullingar last April.

Stifford, who was making his pro debut, was dropped by Nevin, inside the first minute and the American was counted out after walking into a massive right hook from the ex-AIBA World No.1.

Unbeaten Irish light welter and light-heavy Tyrone McKenna and Ray Ginley completed the Irish hat-trick, with second-round stoppages over Anthony Dave and Quincy Minor in North Carolina. Nevin, who improves to two wins from two after Saturday’s win, is planning to have another fight before Christmas, and is thrilled to be back.

“I don’t think that Floyd Mayweather would have got back up after that shot, bang, straight on the chin, clean into next week,” he said.

“After what happened, today is right up there with the Olympics; best feeling of my life. It’s great to be back. People may not know how much this means to me after what happened. I appreciated every minute of this; the training, the sparring, the weigh-ins, everything. It’s been a very difficult few months, but I have come through it.

Meanwhile Olympic champion Katie Taylor recorded her second victory of the weekend at the University of Limerick, beating former Belgium international Oshin Derieuw.

Saturday’s victory arrived 24 hours after the World No. 1 beat Sweden’s Patricia Berghult in Fermoy, Cork.