“This is completely different” – Davey Oliver Joyce ignoring the past ahead of Elite final

Over the last 15 years the name David Oliver Joyce has six times been read out as an Elite Senior Champion.

This Saturday night an 18-year-old by the same name will be hoping MC Peter O’Donnell reads out the name once again.

The cousin of the Olympian and triple EU gold medallist has a lot of people talking in Irish boxing and is looking to get his foot on the ladder despite his relative young age.

The Ballymun BC lightweight fights Derry’s Dominic Bradley in the 60kg decider and enters the fight full of confidence and in the form of his life.

Last Saturday he overcame Paulstown puncher Shane Flavin in the semis and viewed it as the perfect preparation for this weekend’s final.

Joyce told Irish-Boxing.com that “I boxed well, stuck to my gameplan and just boxed. I got the rust out of me.”

“He was strong, he came down from 64kg. I’m a 60kg, I only walk around at 61 or 62kg.”

Too small currently for light welterweight, too big for featherweight, and still only 18, Joyce is sticking to the non-Olympic lightweight class for now.

It’s all about experience for the Navan teenager who described how “it’s going to be a brilliant buzz, I always dreamed about this, the Senior final.”

“It’s a very good experience for me, I’m only just gone 18!”

“This is a very big year for me, I have the European Under-22s in Russia next month too, and I’m in brilliant form”

In Bradley, who received a bye to the final, he faces an opponent he defeated just last month but Joyce knows this counts for nothing.

The talented all-rounder is expecting a tough fight from the Commonwealth Youth Games team captain and notes how “I beat him in the Under-22s but this is completely different, it’s the Elites.”

“He’s a good opponent. I handled him well, I beat him, but it was close.”