Celtic Clash 12 – UNDERCARD RESULTS + REPORT

Owen O’Neill was back entertaining and delighting one of the most passionate small hall supports in Irish boxing tonight.

‘The Operator’ didn’t get the six round title stepping stone victory he wanted but had his hand raise nonetheless after outscoring Naeem Ali on Celtic Clash 12.

The Dee Walsh trained fighter competing in his first fight at home since February 2020 and put on a bit of a show for the crowd en-route to a 40-36 win.

The away corner lottery served the Cliftonville light middle up a tough enough test. Ali is one of the more active journeymen and all but guarantees rounds considering he has only been stopped once in over 80 fights.

O’Neill still started aggressively and set a high pace. He forced his foe back onto the ropes and worked the body well. He also landed a few clean right hands and and one eye catching upper cut on the inside. The pressure continued through the second stanza and by the end of the round Ali was looking to hold, although just when some started to suggest he was wilting he took a long left hook and smiled.

Ali was full of journeyman tricks in the third but couldn’t frustrate Triple O who was enjoying himself and producing some of his best work.

It was apparent by the end of the third that the fight would go the distance but O’Neill never stopped pushing, winning every second as he pitched a shut-out.

The win sees O’Neill Improve to 7-0 while Ali drops to 2-77-1.

Eddie Treacy reminded Irish fight fans what he is all about when registering victory in his first fight since 2019 on the card.

The light middleweight didn’t look to ease his way back into action letting his hands go from start to finish and punching his way to a 40-36 shut out win.

Much to the delight of the big Bray contingent, Treacy came out firing from the off. A big right hand set the tone and the Wicklow man was hurting his opponent to the body. Two left hooks at the end of the stanza also tested the chin of the Croat.

The aggressive approach continued from the no nonsense light middle in the second as he Borosa back to the ropes and let his hands go. Two right hands, in particular, rattled the journeyman, with only two stoppages defeats on his record, but he made it to round 3.

With more typical survival tactics not working for the away corner fighter, he elected to increase his out put in the third, hoping to lessen the volume of ‘Honey Badger’ attacks.

The Mark Buckley fighter didn’t think about banking another ring rust freeing round and continued to push for the finish whilst calling for Barosa to stand and trade with him. The Croatian managed to make the final bell and earned the extra money he got paid to fight.

The victory sees Treacy improve to 5-0 and his opponent slip to 2-14.

Crumlin kid Cian Doyle showed just why Boxing Ireland rate him so highly as he got his career of a perfect start on the card.

Doyle was another to win by whitewash and a 40-36 scoreline impressing his way to a debut win.

Doyle’s first ever round as pro, indeed his first round in adult boxing was an impressive one. He showed ring smarts from the off and grew in confidence as the round progressed. The Crumlin graduate forced the issue with a busy jab and was able find passage past the experienced survival specialist’s guard, particularly when he tapped up stairs and ripped down to the body.

The Phil Sutcliffe-trained fighter had to deal with a lot more coming back at him in the second but it provided him more opportunity to land clean and allowed him to pass an early chin check as he took a left hook and upper cut.

Doyle’s amateur class made him standout somewhat in the third and in the fourth, he had upped a gear. meaning he won every round showing a little something different in each session.

Doyle is now the proud owner of a 1-0 pro record while Fash’s record reads 2-66.

Such is the trouble securing away fighters at the moment, Liam Walsh was handed the kind of debut managers and promoters would generally avoid. It’s not that he shouldn’t be defeating the British-based Latvian Kristaps Zulgis, but with wins over a 7-1, 3-0 and 6-0 fighters on his record, Zulgis has upset potential. As a result and in normal circumstances he would be one for further down the road.

Circumstances meant he was served up the Tony Davitt-trained teen and to his credit Walsh looked unfazed from the off.

The Limerick light middle as calm and composed in the first against a fighter with upset previous, showed great head movement a looks to carry a bit of power.

The debutant showed real variety to his work and a decent boxing IQ in the second and continued to dominate through the third – and did so against a journeyman with noticably more ambition than most and this was something he showed in an entertaining fourth with both throwing more shots and both landing big in the final few seconds.

Walsh starts off at 1-0 while Zulgis goes to 5-20-3