Comeback Kid Aidan Walsh suffers Olympic defeat
The inspiring Aidan Walsh comeback came to an end in a front of a partisan Parisian crowd on Sunday morning.
Ireland are still looking for their first win in the tournament after Walsh followed Dean Clancy out of the competition.
Like Sligo’s Clancy, Walsh was unfortunate and lost to good, experienced competition in the Round of 32. European medal winner in Makan Traore eventually getting the better of the Olympic medal winner.
The 27-year-old took the first across the board and was unfortunate to lose the second. Things unraveled somewhat in the third with a points deduction for holding and 10 eventually became eight in terms of Irish fighters in medal contention.
Walsh, who hung up his boxing gloves temporarily last year, hung up his dancing shoes for the start of this fight. The Belfast man took centre ring, held his feet and looked to counter-punch without dancing around ring.
Despite being in range ‘The Matador’ was still untouchable and took the round 10-9 across the board.
It was more vintage Walsh in the second, as Traore pushed forward trying to get back into contention. There were check left hooks, well-picked shots and Walsh more often than not made his French foe miss.
He did ship one big shot and did get what now seems a mandatory reminder to engage but still the Irish fighter was unlucky to lose the stanza 4-1.
It was all to play for going into the last but a big right hand landed by the home fighter at the start of the stanza hurt the Holy Family fighter and forced Walsh into a period of holding, which lead to a point deduction.
Losing the last round meant he lost the fight and Walsh’s focus will now switch to supporting his sister.
