Joe Ward Reflects on Biggest National Stadium Moment as he Returns Home
Considering he’s never lost on the South Circular Road, Joe Ward has plenty of happy National Stadium memories.
One of Ireland’s greatest-ever amateurs dominated domestically from as young as 11 years old all the way up until the senior ranks where he was an International star winning World and European Championship medals.
Along the way, ‘Mighty Joe’ won 15 Irish titles, defeating the best Ireland had to offer at the weight, and celebrated plenty of meaningful successes.
However, one opponent and one night in particular stand out.
Ward claims his first encounter with fellow Irish boxing legend Kenneth Egan is his favourite Stadium moment.
“The Kenny Egan fight is the one,” he tells Irish-boxing.com.
“The stadium was absolutely rocking that night. There was no way you could get a seat. It was great and that was really where it kind of kicked off for me and leand me to becoming a real household name in Irish boxing.”
It was the start of something special, as Ward took the torch from the Olympic medal winner and blazed a trail with the vest for a decade, winning three World and three European championship medals before turning over in 2019.
As well as a special fight that captured the fight worlds attention and for Ward a special win he is extremely proud of.
“Kenny was going for his eleventh National Senior title to make history and I was just going to stop him. I was going to do my thing. I wanted to continue my run of success as an Irish fighter and I had my own things I wanted to achieve. I was pretty young, 17 years old, so no one really gave me much of a chance but I overcame,” Ward, who said he has always been on good terms with Egan, added.
“Then I went on to obviously win five more National Elite titles, a couple of Europeans and a few Worlds and the Olympics along the way. It wasn’t a bad stint.”
The Moate man returns to the venue tonight as he fights Dmytro Fedas on top of the All of the Lights Elite Promotions bill.
He is excited to return and determined to maintain his 100 percent record at the first purpose-built boxing Stadium in the world.
“I’m excited to be back home at the National Stadium. I’ve never lost in the National Stadium. I’ve never lost in Ireland as an amateur fighter, so that’s a record I can hold onto for as long as I can. I’m really excited to put on a great show.”
