Champ-Champ Kenneth Doyle – “It’s been a long time coming”

Always thereabouts, everything has clicked recently for Kenneth Doyle.

After years of being disappointed, the Dublin light welterweight has claimed two Irish titles in the past two months.

In Decemeber the Monkstown puncher claimed the National Senior [Intermediate] title and followed this up with the National U22 title at the weekend.

Both championship finals saw 18-year-old Doyle overcome experienced Donegal fighter Matthew McCole on split-decisions.

Looking back on his most recent win, which both boxers felt they edged, Doyle told Irish-Boxing.com that “it was a close fight, a very, very close fight. It was a rematch of the Intermediate final – which was a different fight.”

“I got a point taken off me in the Intermediate final which made that fight a bit closer. Then this fight was a closer fight again.”

“I box both ways. I boxed as a counter-puncher in the Intermediate final and then I boxed more on the front foot in the under-22 final.”

The rewards are rolling in for Doyle who has been a fixture at the National Stadium in recent years.

“it’s been a long time coming,” he notes. “I’ve been beaten in three Irish finals.”

“I’ve lost to the best, Paddy Donovan twice and Eamer Coughlan, two top lads.”

“It’s all falling into place. Even in the last six or seven months, everything’s just clicked. I’m boxing very well at the moment.”

Only 18, the European U22 Championships in Romania next month are Doyle’s primary target – with he and his team electing to wait and enter the second National Senior Elite Championships in November.

“I wanted to enter the Seniors but the coaches want to hold me back,” the ambitious teenager notes.

“That’s the main one [the European U22s]. I’m going to put the work in.”

Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)