Joyce serves up another spectacular performance
In his first contest, he beat a talented Russian, Maxim Khalikov, on count-back and yesterday’s semi-final was equally thrilling if not quite so close.
The 18-year-old Athy man punched his way to a clear cut 42-24 victory over Edmonds who was moving up a division from flyweight to bantamweight for the first time and, while the margin of victory hardly reflected the Welshman’s contribution, there was never going to be any doubt about the outcome.
Joyce threw every punch in the book and put together a whole series of three and five punch combinations but still Edmonds came at him throwing big punches. Joyce elected to stand toe to toe and trade big punches with his opponent in the third round but still the Welshman stood defiantly before him and replied with some big shots to the head and body.
Joyce won the first round 11-8 and the second by seven and was 32-21 ahead going into the last round when he pulled further ahead.
“He threw plenty of big punches, he was very strong,” Joyce admitted afterwards. “I honestly did not think he would survive my combinations but I looked at him and he was still there and he was still throwing big punches.”
Ralph Gammer, the Welsh staff coach, admitted that Joyce was a class act and one to follow for the future but said they were proud of the performance which Matthew Edmonds put up.
“I honestly don’t think the margin did him justice,” he said. “I am not saying there was any doubt about the winner. He won it well. But 18 points was a bit much in my estimation.”
“Matthew is a good boxer, he is strong, he throws big punches and he can put the combinations together. He has been Welsh champion in a number of age groups and has boxed in a lot of multi nations tournaments. Since moving up to 54 kgs he is strong at the weight.” Joyce won four national titles last season, junior, under-21, intermediate and senior and he went to the European junior championships among the medal favourites but went out in the first round.
“It was the worst performance of my entire career,” he said. “It is one of those fights you want to forget. I felt terrible on the day and I felt terrible in the ring. It just was not me.” But he has put all that behind him and is already eyeing the 2004 Olympics in Beijing. This tournament is something of a launching pad.
“It is a great tournament. There have been some very good contests and for me it is important,” he said. “I work hard at my boxing. I just love boxing.” He is coached at the St. Michael’s club by his father, John Joe, his uncle, Christy, and by Dominic O’Rourke, President of the IABA.
“They teach me plenty and I am a good learner. I take it all in,” he said.
Tonight he will face Dennis Makarov of Germany in the bantamweight final.
Makarov beat Derek Thorpe of the Ireland 2 team 19-17 in the other semi-final but he had to pull out all the stops as Thorpe, who trailed by five points going into the final round, fought his way back. Thorpe was runner-up to Joyce in the senior championships.
David Oliver’s cousin, John Joe Joyce, is through to the lightweight final after a thrilling semi-final contest with Mitch Prince from Scotland.
The Scot made a bold effort to keep in touch in the first round by, at the end of the second he was 11 points behind and Joyce led by 18 going into the fourth. He will face an interesting opponent in tonight’s final when he steps in against Eugen Burhardt, a bustling German, who outpointed Robert Turley (Wales) 22-16 in the other semi-final.
Aodh Carlyle had a 34-22 victory over Shaun Bowers (Wales) to claim his place in the light welterweight final against Gennady Kovalev (Russia) who outpointed David Anthony Joyce of the Ireland 2 team 28-16 in the other semi-final while Darren O’Neill went through to the semi-final of the light heavyweight division when the referee stopped the contest in the fourth round after his opponent, Kenny Anderson of Scotland, sustained a cut eye. He will meet Artur Beterbiev of Russia tonight.
Heavyweight Michael Fouhy met a very good German for his international debut. He took a standing count in the first round but fought back to trail by just two points. The German was seven points ahead going into the third round and while the St. Colman’s man kept him at the end of a right jab for much of the round the German led 20-10 going into the last round and was never going to be caught although Fouhy landed some big punches.
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