Mixed fortunes for Irish champions

8 August 2010 – Cormac Campbell

There were mixed fortunes for the two Irish champions in action at CityWest on Saturday.

Super-middleweight champion Anthony Fitzgerald continued to impress as he outpointed Bangors Phil Townley over six one-sided rounds.

Just a month before his next title defence (and rubber match) with Robbie Long, Fitzgerald improved to 8-2 (2KO) with a one sided display that only went the distance as a result of Townleys toughness rather than any threat he posed. The final score of 60-54 reflected Fitzgeralds dominance.

What is undeniable in the case of Fitzgerald is that Phil Sutcliffe is an incredible coach. For in a short space of time he has turned a man with a losing record of 1-2 charge into a well rounded boxer capable of taking a step up in class over the next 12 months. Septembers clash with Long at the National Stadium will provide a clear indication of just how far Fitzgerald has come.

However, if Fitzgerald can look ahead to bigger and better things, light-heavyweight champion John Waldron must now be seriously considering his future. Having entered the ring off a career best victory over Jamie Power in Limerick in May, Ballyhaunis native Waldron struggled to deal with Latvian Andrejs Barabanovs southpaw style.

Waldron was wobbled in the second and it wasnt until the fourth round, when he started throwing more right hands and left hooks that he began to enjoy any success.

However, in the sixth it was all over, Waldron was floored twice with body shots leaving referee Paul McCullough with little choice but to wave the fight off after 1.59.

The fight night programme had carried an advertisement stating Waldron v Sweeney coming soon. This was in reference to a planned title defence against Michael Sweeney. However, with Waldron defeated and Sweeney chasing an EU title fight in France the chances of this fight coming to fruition in the near future would appear greatly diminished.