Heartbreak for Niall Kennedy as coach pulls him out of Paddy’s Weekend clash
Niall Kennedy [13(8)-1(1)-1] won’t be appearing alongside Ray Moylette and Joe Ward on the Murphy’s Boxing annual St Patrick’s weekend show next week.
The heavyweight has been pulled off the card by coach Pascal Collins.
The Gorey picked up an injury, fracturing his thumb in camp – and as a result Collins put a stop to him fighting.
Months & Weeks of Training ! Long Drives back & Forth from Wexford to Dublin ! It Kills me to Break the News that I have withdrawn @niallbaskennedy from the Boston Card on March 14th Due to a Fractured Thumb picked up in training @Irishboxingcom @carrtogram @murphysboxing pic.twitter.com/98raUUb2sF
— Packie Collins (@packycollins) March 6, 2020
It’s believed ‘Boom Boom Baz’ was considering still appearing on the show, but his coach wasn’t going to allow him fight injured.
Kennedy suffered the recurrence of a back problem during the introductions of his last fight, but kept it from his coach with ultimately cost him.
An upset Collins post fight argued he was giving instructions on the assumption Kennedy was in full health and could have altered things if aware of the back pain.
The popular big man eventually lost to former Olympian Devin Vargas and missed the chance of a registering a scalp that would have progressed his career significantly.
The 35-year-old was set to return in a co main event in Boston’s House of Blues on March 14. The eager to kick on heavy was said to be facing a tougher challenge than Vargas, but injury has prevented him from trading leather on the show.
Kennedy has two stablemates – Craig O’Brien and Rhys Moran -fighting in Waterford on May 9 and if recovered on time may considering appearing on that Ring Kings II card – if he did he would appear in Ireland for the first time since 2016.
