Jack Marley 'saves the day' as Irish boxers get off the mark

Following defeats for Dean Clancy, Aidan Walsh and Grainne Walsh, it was a much-needed result. 

JACK THE LAD: Ireland’s Jack Marley on the front foot against Mateusz Bereznicki of Poland. Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

When things were going against them, when the Irish boxing team was starting to look a little ropey, it was time to call in the big man. At the North Paris Arena last night, Jack Marley stepped up and flipped the script, the 21-year-old Dubliner turning in a crisp, clinical display to advance to the final eight of the men’s 92kg category. He’s now just one win away from a medal.

Following defeats for Dean Clancy, Aidan Walsh and Grainne Walsh, this was badly needed, something head coach Zaur Antia noted as he walked through the mixed zone: “Saved us today!” 

Marley sprang from his corner like a man on a mission, getting the better of the early exchanges with Poland’s Mateusz Bereznicki, taking the first round 4-1. Things were much the same in the second, Marley taking it 4-1. From there, he just had to navigate a safe path to the finish and that he did, despite one scary moment in the final round when he was caught with a dangerous right hook. But he stayed standing, taking it 4-1 to move on and meet Tajikistan’s Davlat Boltaev in the last eight.

If Marley felt any pressure from his teammates’ defeats, he didn’t acknowledge it. “It’s an individual sport, I’m always going to take it as an individual,” he said. “They are my very close friends, and I was 10 times more nervous watching them yesterday than I was for myself today, and I take them losses, too, when they lose. I’m delighted to give us a little bit of positivity today.” 

How did he feel about his Olympic debut? “I tell you one thing: it wasn’t what I expected. I think I hyped it up a bit too much in myself. But I was cool as a cucumber going into that, and I thought I showed that.” 

Earlier in the evening, Grainne Walsh was ousted from the women’s 66kg category in controversial circumstances after losing 4-1 to Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary. 

“The bottom line of all of this is just frustration,” she said. “She just smothered me from early on and was leaning all over me. I'm not blaming her for it. She did what she had to do to win the fight.” 

Walsh’s rival drew her into grappling contests on several occasions, leaving her skills stifled. “I just didn't feel like I'd get any flow,” she said. “My inside game is probably one of my best attributes but was just tying me up and I was just getting annoyed.” 

Walsh had the better of the early exchanges but Hamori broke through Walsh’s guard soon after, landing several times to take the first round 3-2. Hamori faced a one-point deduction midway through the second round due to excessive grappling, with the Hungarian taking it on the judges’ scorecards 5-0. But the deduction left Walsh still firmly in contention heading into the final round: up on two scorecards, down on three. However, Hamori asserted herself better in the final round, making some clean connections and forcing Walsh to soon go on the offensive, but the Offaly woman couldn’t do enough to convince the judges, losing it 3-2 and the bout 4-1 overall.

She wasn’t impressed by the refereeing, suggesting her opponent should have received more warnings. “It actually encouraged her to continue doing it and I was getting continuously frustrated but I tried not to let my emotions get the better of me,” she said. “It’s just very annoying when you're trusting in someone to let a fight go free-flowing and it doesn't turn out that way. I’m just disappointed, the Olympics comes around once every four years and it's a shame. I can beat that girl 10 times out of 10 but just didn't happen today.” Earlier in the day, Olympic bronze medallist Aidan Walsh lost a similarly scrappy encounter to France’s Makan Traore, beaten 4-0. Walsh started in promising fashion, taking the first round 5-0 but the second went to the Frenchman 4-1 after an intervention by the referee calling on the fighters to engage more. But by losing the final round on all judges’ scorecards, Walsh’s Olympics came to an end.

Still, he looked on the bright side, having fought back from mental health issues since Tokyo that ruled him out of the sport for 14 months. “It is an absolute privilege to be here,” he said. “I done my best and my best wasn’t good enough today.” 

Olympic champion Kellie Harrington will step into the ring this afternoon for her opening bout in the 60kg category against Italy’s Alessia Messano, the 34-year-old appearing on a collision course with world champion Beatriz Ferreira of Brazil, who she’ll face in the semi-final if they both advance to that point. It’s scheduled for 2.46pm Irish time on Monday.