Former pro world champ first up for Kellie Harrington
Kellie Harrington begins her European Championships campaign against a recent world professional champion today.
In her first appearance in a major international tournament since she defeated Beatriz Ferreira to win Olympic gold in July of 2022, the Dubliner takes on Maiva Hamadouche.
The French fighter represents as tough a preliminary-round fight as you can get. Hamadouche boxes both amateur and pro and was the world IBF champion as recent as November of last year.
It was a title El Veneno held for 5 years before eventually being dethroned by Mikaela Mayer, who puts it on the line against Alycia Baumgardner in one of Boxxer’s eagerly anticipated world title fights in London this weekend.
However, Harrington already holds a win over the 32-year-old, and beat her when it mattered most.
10 #TeamIreland 🇮🇪 boxers are gearing up to contest @EUBCBOXING Women’s Championship.
— IABA (@IABABOXING) October 13, 2022
The draws have taken place this evening – they’re all here, plus Friday’s programme and live-stream links.🥊https://t.co/PnGtcSsVeh pic.twitter.com/YXjIrKVcOJ
The St Mary’s BC fighter was nothing short of sensational when defeating the hard-hitting, experienced, all-action French fighter to book her place on the plane to Tokyo in june of 2021, where she would go on to become Ireland’s third boxing gold medal winner.
The lightweights renew acquaintances in Budva, Montenegro today and trade leather for a place in the next round of the 2022 Women’s European Championship. The Irish v French meeting is bout 9 of Day one’s evening session.
European Under-22 champion Niamh Fay, whose solid World Championship display is often overlooked, is also in opening-day action.
The young Dub takes on Sirine Charaabi the Italian with an interesting back story in bout 4.
