Intriguing Belfast-Dublin derby added to Féile card
The announcements just keep coming.
On the same day as Michael Conlan and Luke Keeler had step up opponents confirmed – against Diego Alberto Ruiz and Luis Arias respectively – an exciting all-Irish match up as been announced for the Féile an Phobail bill on August 3rd.
Padraig McCrory [8(3)-0] and Steve Collins Jr [14(4)-2-1] will meet for BUI Celtic super-middleweight title on the ESPN+ and BT Sports broadcast card in one of the more left-field Dublin Belfast derbies in recent times.
The element of surprise comes from the fact ‘The Wolfhound’ and Dublin element of the fight has campaigned as high as cruiserweight in all bar two of his fights – and his sole career defeats come in light heavyweight title fights.
Collins, who fought Paddy McDonagh for the Irish light heavyweight title and Steven Ward for the BUI Celtic strap at the same weight, will debut at super middleweight in a potentially exiting and intriguing match up.
Belfast’s McCrory moves into a title fight for the first time in his career. The Irish-boxing.com Knockout of the Year winner was rumoured to be liningup a fight with Taylor McGoldrick. However, when the Tyrone fighter was stopped on the last #MTKFightNight to visit Belfast those plans were scuppered.
The Ray Ginley-trained fighter has now been handed a derby clash of a different kind and will fight Collins for the domestic gateway title.
Some may note that a move to super middle for Collins, if he can somehow shave another half a stone off his career-lowest weight, and a win in McCrory’s back yard may allow the Steven O’Rourke trained fighter to take early steps to a narrative packed potential fight with Chris Eubanks Jr.
