Four Irish advance to finals

THERE were four Irish victories at the multi-nations boxing tournament at the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork last night, as James Moore, Conor Ahern, Andrew Murray and Marvin Lee claimed their places in tomorrow night’s finals.

Moore was having his first contest in nine months when he went in against Frenchman Karim Bettabai, and it appeared for much of the early exchanges that the visitor, who lost to Michael Kelly in a light welterweight contest in Toulon last month, might be about to cause an upset as he took the fight to Moore, winning the first round 5-4.

Moore began to pull out the stops in the second round, scoring with some good shots to the body, as the Frenchman directed his artillery to the head. Moore won this round 6-4 to go a point clear.

But it was the third round that decided it when Moore went hunting. Both men scored freely in the opening seconds, but the effort began to take its toll, and when fatigue began to set in, all the punches were directed to the head. But Moore was still doing his best work with the two-fisted combinations to the body, and it was from those that he built up a comfortable 25-13 lead as they headed into the final round, winning the third 15-4.

Moore, showing the form that won him a bronze at the world championships in Belfasta couple of years ago, was now coasting, and he won the last round 10-4 to take the contest 35-15.

Moore will now meet Benjamin Kolvic of Sweden in tomorrow night's welterweight final after Kolvic comfortably outpointed Ireland's other welterweight representative here, Henry Coyle from Geesala in Mayo, a bronze medallist at the world military championships last year, 20-5, building on a 10-2 first round lead.

Conor Ahern, heir apparent to the Irish senior light flyweight title, was boxing only his third senior contest one of the other two was at the world championships in Bangkok, when he took on the experience Scot, Ian McCabe, in last night's opening contest. And the reigning youths and junior champion did everything that was expected of him and more as he snatched the verdict from McCabe by just one point, 11-10 , setting up a final showdown with Sofiane Takoucht of France tomorrow night.

Since plundering the national senior lightweight title from Belfast's Eamonn McAneaney last year, the two-time national champion, Andrew Murray, has hardly put a foot or a punch wrong, and last night he underscored his talents with a comprehensive victory over an impressive Scot, Mitch Prince, 23-11.

From the very outset, this contest promised much and it delivered plenty as both boxers battled for the centre of the ring, scored with clear shots and ended the first round level 5-5. Another action packed round saw Murray, now using his strength and ring craft to advantage, go clear 14-7. The Cavan man was on top and the Scot tiring in the third round, which went to the Irishman 4-2 There was a significant victory for Marvin Lee over the Canadian Trevor Stewardson in last night's semi-finals to set up an exciting final with the reigning Irish senior light heavyweight champion, Kenneth Egan tomorrow night.

Last night, Lee, who hails from Oughterard, produced the performance of his life in the last round to snatch victory from the Canadian after the computer had tied them on 10 points apiece at the end of the third.

In the final round, Lee came out rejuvenated to score with some big shots and win the round 6-3 to the delight of the huge crowd. He now faces Kenneth Egan in the final.

Roy Sheahan, one of Ireland's most promising prospects, will be hoping to take his career to new heights tonight when he faces the talented young American Antonio Johnson in one of two light welterweight contests down for decision.

The young Athy man has won everything available to him on the domestic front, with the exception of the national senior title But he will need to pull out something really special in what promises to be a cracking contest tonight, with Johnson destined to be one of the future stars of American boxing.

Michael Kelly from Dundalk got a walk over on Tuesday night when the Kosovans were ruled out on a technicality, but he will get his campaign underway tonight in the first of the two light welterweight semi-finals.

Twice a world military champion, he has a wealth of experience behind him going into this contest and he should prove too crafty for tonight's opponent, Patrick Bogere of Sweden.