O’Reilly and Gardiner through to EU quarter finals
Michael O’Reilly outclassed Slovakian middleweight Henrich Bagan to book his ticket into the quarter-finals of the European Union Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria yesterday.
Working comfortably behind his left jab and finding the target with solid uppercuts and right hooks throughout the three rounds, O’Reilly, pictured below (red), cruised to a unanimous decision (30-25,30-27,30-27).He’ll now meet Georgia’s Gocha Badurashvili in the last-eight on Wednesday.
Clonmel BC super-heavy Dean Gardiner is also through to the business end of the tournament. The Tipperary orthodox rocked Bulgaria’s Kristiyan Stefanov back onto the ropes with a right hook in the first round today en route to earning a unanimous decision (29-28,30-27,29-28).
Gardiner and Stefanov were the only two boxers not to receive byes into the last-eight. Gardiner meets Italy’s Guido Vianella on Wednesday.
Seven of the nine-strong Irish squad are now through to the last-eight. Hughie Myers, David Oliver Joyce, John Joe Joyce and Darren O’Neill will be in action tomorrow. Please click here for program.
David Oliver meets Poland’s Dawid Michelus, an opponent he beat in the Tammer Multi-Nations in Finland in 2012. Myers is in against England’s Oliver Simpson. Both men met in a test match when the Irish Elite squad were in Sheffield for a training camp. Beijing and London 2008 and 2012 Olympians John Joe Joyce and Darren O’Neill face opponents from Bulgaria and Georgia.
European Union Championships Sofia, Bulgaria (Last 16 bouts unless stated, Irish times apply) August 8th 56kg Gary McKenna (Ireland) lost to Veaceslav Gojan (Moldova) 0-3 69kg John Joe Joyce (Ireland) beat Damian Kiwior (Poland) 3-0 August 9th 64kg Dean Walsh (Ireland) beat Malik Ladjali (France) 2-1 81kg Darren O’Neill (Ireland) beat Jordan Kulinski (Poland) 3-0 August 10th (1pm) 60kg David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) beat Mahmoud Khattab (Denmark) TKO2 91kg Gary Sweeney (Ireland) lost to Tadas Tamasavkas (Lithuania) 0-3 August 11th 75kg Michael O’Reilly (Ireland) beat Henrich Bagan (Slovakia) 3-0 91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Ireland) beat Kristiyan Stefanov (Bulgaria) 3-0 August 12th (Q/Final) 49kg Hughie Myers (Ireland) Oliver Simpson (England) 60kg David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) v Dawid Michelus (Poland) 69kg John Joe Joyce (Ireland) v Simeon Chamov (Bulgaria) 75kg Darren O’Neill (Ireland) v Niklos Sekhniashvili (Georgia) August 13th (Q/Final) 64kg Dean Walsh (Ireland) v Dmitri Galagot (Moldova) 75kg Michael O’Reilly (Ireland) v Gocha Badurashvili (Georgia) 91+kg Dean Gardiner (Ireland) v Guido Vianella (Italy) Irish squad 49kg Hughie Myers (Ryston) 56kg Gary McKenna (Old School) 60kg David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy) 64kg Dean Walsh (St Joesphs/St Ibars) 69kg John Joe Joyce (St Michael’s Athy) 75kg Michael O’Reilly (Portlaoise) 81kg Darren O’Neill (Paulstown) 91kg Gary Sweeney (Olympic) 91+kg Dean Gardiner (Clonmel) Team manager: Paddy Osbourne Coaches: Billy Walsh, Zuar Antia, Eddie Bolger R&J: Sadie Duffy Physio: Jullianne Ryan
