The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
CLARE professional boxer David Ryan has been nominated for the irish-boxing.com Professional Debut of the Year Award.
David is one of five nominated and describing his debut, the irish-boxing.com blurb said, “The Shannon kickboxing convert was thrown straight in at the deep end in November when he was matched with Nicaraguan dangerman Brayan Mairena in Belfast. Ryan rose to the challenge in a fun war and we can’t wait to see him in domestic fights at light welterweight.”
David’s professional debut was televised on TG4 and he won on points after a hugely entertaining four rounds.
Speaking to the Clare Champion in the aftermath of the fight, he said he hadn’t found it very taxing.
“Not at all. The fight was actually fairly easy. The first three rounds I won fairly handily and in the fourth I took the foot off the gas and counterpunched a small bit, let him come and do the work, I didn’t have to chase him. I’m a counterpuncher and I prefer to be fighting on the back foot, with him chasing me.”
This week he said he was very glad to have been nominated for the award. “I’m delighted to be honest. It’s great to start the year off with something like this.”
He said he genuinely hadn’t expected the nomination. “I was a small bit surprised. My own performance, I didn’t think it was too great, but everyone else was raving about it! You’re always your own worst critic.”
David had hoped to fight again early next month, and while that’s now likely to be a bit later, he plans a very active 2023.
“We’re hoping to have about six fights this year. We want a busy year and to push for a title at the end of it.”
He won’t mind travelling to build experience. “Wherever there are shows I’ll fight, it doesn’t bother me where. Even with kickboxing I wouldn’t always have fought at home, it doesn’t make any difference to me.”
The awards ceremony will be held in Dublin on Thursday, January 26.
Owen Ryan
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked for a number of other regional titles in Limerick, Galway and Cork.
