Classy Lee set to be star in Nationals

LIMERICK’S Andy Lee is on course to become the star of this season’s national senior boxing championships with just Eamonn O’Kane blocking his route to the 75kg (middleweight) title at the National Stadium tomorrow night.

The 18-year-old from the St Francis club a silver medallist in last year's world junior championships beat Leon Senior (Crumlin) on a comprehensive 17-3 verdict on Saturday night while the Derryman accounted from Thomas Moran (St Anne's, Westport) 11-8 at the other side of the draw to set up a novel pairing.

"Andy (Lee) has come through the tougher side of the draw and I would see him as the favourite," the high-performance coach for Team Ireland, Billy Walsh, insisted.

"He is a very good technical boxer the best I have seen in recent times and it will take an exceptional performance to beat him.

"His punches are clean and accurate and just perfect for the computer." But the bout of the night could be at bantamweight, where defending champion Martin Lindsey (Immaculata) will renew rivalry with Brian Gillen (Holy Trinity) in a bid to avenge the defeat which his fellow Belfast man inflicted on him in the Ulster championships.

That was a pretty comprehensive victory for Gillen who went on to beat Eric Donovan (St Michael's, Athy) 25-18 in an action-packed preliminary bout at the stadium to set up a meeting with three-time champion Damien McKenna (Holy Family, Drogheda) in the semi-final.

This was always going to be a real test for Gillen but he came through with flying colours to win on a 21-12 scoreline to set up the clash with Lindsey.

"And it is one I would not like to call," Billy Walsh said. "Martin Lindsey looked pretty sharp against Dermot Lawlor (24-11)."

One of the surprises of the championships so far was the defeat of Ian Timms at light heavyweight where Conal Carmichael (Holy Trinity) claimed his place in the final against Kenneth Egan (Neilstown) who was the champion at middleweight until the weight limit was raised while Timms was the light heavy champion.

And, to add to the mystery, Kenneth Egan defeated last year's beaten finalist at light heavy, Michael McDonagh from Mullingar, to earn his place in the final.

It will be like old times for Carmichael, who lost 11-6 to Egan when they last touched gloves in the finals two years ago, but he will be hoping to do better this time around.

Egan has progressed from that win and will be relying on his quicker hand speed to counter Carmichael's longer reach. But this will be something of a cat and mouse game played out by two technical boxers.

And it will be toss-up between defending champion, Paul McCloskey (St Canices) and Michael Kelly (Dealgan), the reigning world military champion, at light welter after they came through the most competitive division in this year's championships.

McCloskey was beaten in four finals before winning the title last year by defeating rising star, Roy Sheahan in the final. The previous year he lost to Michael Kelly in the final.

He won't relinquish his hard won title too easily but he will have his work cut out against the Dundalk man who won his second world military title last year.

Stephen Ormond, whose father was also a national senior champion, was a popular winner of the featherweight title last year and he faces a rising star in young Eamonn Touhey (Moate).

The Westmeath lad was a bronze medallist at the European Cadette Championships last year and is a classy boxer but he will have to contend with the Dubliner's big punches.

Similarly, if Thomas Lee (Oughterard) tries to mix it with Paul Hyland (Golden Cobra) in the flyweight final he could lose out. James Moore (Arklow), will be hot favourite to retain his welterweight title when he goes in against Thomas Blaney (Westside) who is relatively unexperienced.