Derry duo secure St Patrick’s Day fights

St Patrick’s Weekend is going to be a huge one for Irish boxers, with two more fighters having Stateside scraps announced.

Derry duo John Cooley [1(0)-0] and Connor Coyle have both had fight dates confirmed for Friday March 17th at the A La Carte Pavilion in Tampa, Florida.

The former amateur team-mates at St Joseph’s have linked up again under Jim McLoughlin in St Petersberg, Florida as they embark on pro careers.

Featherweight Cooley debuted in Florida last Summer with a points win over Roberto Carlos Martinez, while middleweight Coyle made his bow in September. The Commonwealth bronze medalist then fought in Dublin in November and has another date lined up in the capital for February 25th before a return to the ring in the Sunshine State.

The Telemundo-broadcast ‘St Paddy’s Massacre’ card will be headlined by welterweight Sammy Valentin [10(7)-0].

Also due to take place in America on St Patrick’s Weekend is the debut of Mick Conlan at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on the Friday, an appearance on the Golovkin-Jacobs undercard at the Madison Square Garden Arena on the Saturday for Katie Taylor, and a headline appearance for Spike O’Sullivan at the House of Blues in Boston, also on the Saturday.

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Joe O’Neill and Gavan Casey look ahead to 2017 in episode 1 of The Irish Boxing Show