Big guns in semis

12 February 2009 – Press Release

Friday the 13th will be unlucky for some and there will be no love lost on St Valentines Day as some of the top amateur boxers in the world gear up for the semi-finals of the Irish Daily Star sponsored 2009 Elite National Senior Championships.

The last four showdowns, which are penciled in for this Friday and Saturday night at the National Stadium in Dublin, will feature Olympic medalists, World, European, Irish and Provincial champions.

Ken Egan, Ray Moylette, John Joe Joyce, John Joe Nevin, Jamie Kavanagh, David Oliver Joyce, Ross Hickey, Tommy McCarthy, Darren O’Neill, Eamonn O’Kane, Alan Reynolds, Roy Sheahan, Conor Ahern and many more will be in action at the home of Irish boxing.

Egan is targeting an historic ninth Irish title on the trot – but Ulster senior champion and 2008 AIBA World Youth bronze medalist Tommy McCarthy, who is on the other side of the light heavyweight draw, believes that he can cause an upset if they clash in the final.

“If we do meet in the final I would be confident that I can beat him. I wouldn’t bother stepping into the ring if I didn’t think that because confidence is everything in this sport,” he said.

The 2009 Elite National Championships finals will be held on Friday, February 20.