THE Boxing Union of Ireland super middleweight title will be on the line when Limerick’s Graham (G-Train) McCormack and home town favourite Craig McCarthy meet on the Ring Kings Card at Waterford Institute of Technology on Saturday night.
McCormack won the title last summer at the expense of Dominic Donegan (Cavan) but relinquished it to Fearghus Quinn (Armagh) at Christmas. He now has been presented with an ideal chance of becoming a two-time title holder.
Excitement levels will increase for both parties and their supporters in the coming days as the Munster men prepare to trade leather.
Garryowen southpaw McCormack (35), who has nine wins in the professional ranks, is trained by Shaun Kelly.
Meanwhile, Welterweight Paddy Donovan is relishing the possibility of a battle of the ‘Real Deals’ against Dylan Moran of Waterford later this month.
“It’s a fight people are demanding happens. Everywhere I go people are talking about it, so it will be good for both of us if it does happen,” Donovan told Irish-Boxing.com.
SOCCER:
IN FRONT of a bumper attendance of nearly 2,000, plucky Ballynanty Rovers exited the FAI Junior Cup with a 2-1 away defeat to Newmarket Celtic of Clare.
The visitors fell behind in the early stages but drew level with a goal from Adrian Power. In a tense closing 45 minutes, the only goal arrived ten minutes from the finish through current international Eoin Hayes, whose initial effort had been well blocked by Stephen McNamara.
Newmarket will meet St Michael’s of Tipperary in the final.
Balla are away to St Michael’s in the FAI Senior Cup (preliminary round) on Sunday (3pm) and entertain Regional United in the Premier League on Thursday at 6.30pm.
On the local front, League favourites Pike Rovers and Aisling Annacotty meet in an interesting Tuohy Cup Final at Jackman Park on Friday (kick-off 6.45pm).
GREYHOUND RACING:
THE €160,000 Con and Annie Kirby Stake reaches its quarter-final stage at Limerick Stadium on Saturday (from 7.40pm).
With a winners’ prize of €80,000, there is little wonder that this richest stake in the world for juveniles attracted such a stellar field of 72, of whom only 24 now remain in contention. At the outset, each runner was allocated a nominating GAA club which will collect €10,000 if successful on April 21.
On Saturday, Graham Holland’s outright favourite Clona Duke matched a ten-year-old track record (College Causeway, 2013) when clocking a sensational 27.95. He runs in the colours of Castletown/Ballyagran.
Another Holland runner, Romeo Hanzo (Rathkeale), clocked a superb 28.07.
At the meeting, a moments silence was held in memory of Tom Horan (Glin), John Murphy (Granagh), Moira Roche (Rathkeale), and Pa Roche (Ballingarry), all of whom passed away recently and had strong links to the sport.
