Egan takes ninth national title

Olympian hero Kenny Egan punched his way into the history books at the Elite National Senior Championships at the National Stadium in Dublin last night, defeating Belfast light heavyweight Tommy McCarthy to become the only Irish boxer in the 98-year history of the IABA to win nine Irish senior titles in a row.

Eighteen-year-old McCarthy, a bronze medal winner at the 2008 AIBA World Youth Championships, left his calling card at IABA headquarters last night and asked a few questions of the Neilstown club-man, particularly in the second round after he pulled back to within one point at 3-2.

However, the Ulster teenager didn't do himself any favours after receiving a public warning for dropping his head in the second and Egan went in at the interval 6-2 up.

The Dubliner extended his lead to 7-2 with a sweet left seconds into the third frame - but also received a public warning before being handed a 9-5 decision.

Defending champion and 2008 Olympian John Joe Joyce sensationally lost his title after he was felled twice by Philip Sutcliffe in the first round of an explosive light welterweight final.

Joyce, a bronze medal winner at the 2008 European Championships who was targeting his fourth title on the trot, went down under a left to the body near his own corner and was down again moments later. The ref stopped the contest with less than a minute to go to the end of the first.