Keane McMahon handed tough step-up

Keane McMahon [3(0)-0] will have his step-up request met when he returns to the ring on Saturday June 16th.

‘The Iceman’ has been vocal about his desire to be face tests since he turned over last year and recently claimed he was ready for six rounders.

Now, having put two wins together since returning from an early sabbatical, his team have decided it’s time to move up a level in terms of opponent and rounds.

The Dubliner will face Cork-based South African Jade Karam [9(4)-6(3)-2] on the ‘Celtic Clash 6’ card at Good Counsel GAA in Drimnagh.

The fight will Karam’s third against Irish opposition.

He got caught old by noted puncher Rohan Daté and was stopped within a minute in Waterford last time out.

However, ‘The Beirut Rebel’ went six rounds at middleweight with the more experienced Alfredo Meli of Belfast back in December.

The fighter, who trains in Watergrasshill under Luke Thomas, also has four knockouts from nine wins in South Africa, also winning the Gauteng State title at middleweight.

McMahon will be deemed favourite and will be confident of victory next month but Karam certainly has the capability to test the 23-year-old technician.

The David Murphy-managed fighter goes into the clash on the back of three four-round point wins over Lukasz Kuc, Filip Rzadek, and, most recently and most impressively, Radoslav Mitev

The Celtic Clash 6 card will also include Eric Donovan, Rohan Daté, John Joyce, Owen Duffy, Graham McCormack, and a BUI Celtic super bantamweight title fight between Colin O’Donovan and Carl McDonald, with more to be announced.