Russians routed as Joyce cousins star in boxing openers

DAVID OLIVER JOYCE got the multi-nations boxing tournament off to the perfect start at the Tintean Centre in Ballybunion last night when he fought his way back to snatch victory from Magomed Abdkhamido of Russia on count-back after a thrilling bantamweight opener.

The young Athy man was having his first contest since his surprise defeat at the European junior championships in Tallinn last July when he took on a high class opponent last night.

It was felt that Abdkhamido might be more than a handful for the reigning national senior champion at this point in the season and it looked as if Joyce, a member of Ireland’s elite squad already preparing for the Beijing Olympics, might be a bit ring rusty.

But he matched the Russian punch for punch in the first round, survived big body blows and was level at 6 points a-piece going into the second.

The Russian began to get on top in the second. He again landed some big body blows but Joyce fought back with typical combinations - a hallmark of his performance - and did not deserve to lose the round by five points.

He stepped up a gear in the third, put some delightful three punch combinations together and won the round by three points to trail by two going into the fourth. Joyce, winner of three national titles at junior, under-21 and senior last season, did everything required of him in a thrilling last round that produced delightful exchanges that had the crowd on their feet.

At the end the computer had them tied at 29-29 and when it went to count-back the score reflected Joyce’s overall performance, giving him the verdict by 68 points to 62.

David Oliver’s cousin, John Joe Joyce, had a resounding win over another very good Russian, Semen Grivachev, in an action-packed lightweight contest.

The Athy man won every round to claim a 47-27 victory but most of the points came in the final round which Joyce won by a startling 16 points having led by four at the end of the third.

Up to that point the Russian was always a huge threat, scoring clean, crisp punches but in the end the work rate and accuracy of Joyce put the contest beyond reach.

The Irish have avoided all the Russians on tonight’s eight-contest bill. At light welterweight David Anthony Joyce will meet Mark Hastie of Scotland while at welterweight Oisin Kelly will meet Fundo Mhura from the Scottish Highlands.

Middleweight Edward Healy meets Harry Mills from Wales while light heavyweight Darren O’Neill meets another Welshman, Jame Whitfield.