Crusaders’ Clare boxing conquest a knockout

ENNIS Chamber of Commerce and Clare Crusaders came together for the third season to promote and entertain with the Fightnight Supreme in the Queens Hotel on Friday last to raise funds jointly for the Crusaders Clinic and the Chamber.

 

It was entertainment of the highest order with endeavour and skill and sometimes bravery beyond the bounds of rationale. Many of the combatants had five or six weeks of preparation under the tutelage of the Ennis Boxing Club coaches.

Fifteen contests provided a packed hall with good entertainment and, ironically, all the contests went the full distance, a tribute perhaps to the combatants and also to the matchmakers.

Weight categories seemed irrelevant and height and reach, so important in the professional boxing arena, were mere statistics as each fighter sought the prize without fear or trepidation.

It was obvious to all the audience that each of the ladies sought to make a mark, enlivened by the outstanding exploits of Katie Taylor’s Olympic gold and perhaps confident their futures as resilient fighting talent was secure forever. Most of the six contests for the ladies were exciting and went down to the wire, with little separating the combatants.

Laura Downes and Nicola Chaplin epitomised all of this with the diminutive Chaplin holding her own against the stronger and accurate Downes, while Sinéad Reidy recovered from an early barrage to narrowly outpoint Clare McMahon in a thriller.

Ann Norton was a late substitute with little pre-fight preparation but she made Cherelle Ryan fight all the way for victory in a thoroughly entertaining opener. Ryan boxed conservatively behind a solid jab and her fitness in the end was conclusive.

Fight of the night was undoubtedly the war of attrition between Mark Sillman, himself a diligent coach and fitness fiend, and the immensely strong Olegas Ivanovas. Sillman, a former Welsh ABA champion and international has an accurate left hand and while it seemed Ivanovas might penetrate Sillman’s defence, the Welsh wizard kept his cool and picked off his punches for victory.

Davy Boy Casey, who had in his halcyon youth made a name for himself in the Ennis Boxing Club colours had prepared well for his battle with Noel Kennedy but Kennedy was tall and mobile and made a great battle of this one. Kennedy was in trouble in the second from a solid right hook but he rallied and might have stolen it in the third were it not for Casey’s excellent defence and counter-punching.

Davy Coote conceded weight to the rangy Joe Forde but his southpaw skills were to be the deciding factor. Forde was solid but he took some time to come to terms with Coote’s unorthodoxy and while Coote landed with a perfect left to the head, Forde sought in vain to bang home his powerful right and was caught coming forward.

Richie Brigdale inherited his skill from his dad who was a useful welterweight in his day and he brought some of this skill to bear against Mark Burns, a burly hitter with a good right hook. Brigdale used his speed and an accurate left jab to pile up the points and hurt his opponent in the third with two solid rights to the chin. Burns fought gamely but was outgunned in this one.

Mark ‘Diamond’ Kelly, the local publican, whose pedigree has scarcely strayed beyond hurling and football with his beloved Éire Óg, proved a revelation on the night and he brought the house down in his battle with Pat Baker. Kelly proved he can take a punch and his cumulative barrages had Baker backing off as he put together some fine left and right hooks for victory.

Results
Cherelle Ryan beat Ann Norton
Sinéad Reidy beat Clare McMahon
Laura Downes beat Nicola Chaplin
Stephanie Coughlan beat Margaret O’Brien
Bríd Troy beat Leanne Tobin
Serena Finnerty beat Elaine Fitzgerald
Darren Kelly beat Stephen Coote
Mark Kelly beat Pat Baker
David Coote beat Joe Forde
Brian Kelly beat Seamus Breen
Chris Smetana beat Mark Gleeson
David Casey beat Noel Kennedy
Richie Brigdale beat Mark Burns
Brian Hehir beat Matthew Griffin
Mark Sillman beat Olegas Ivanovas.