Irish triumph in Athy
01 March 2009 – By Mark Doyle
Ireland recorded an 8-2 win over Team USA at the Arch Centre in Athy on Sunday night.
The victory arrived 48 hours after Ireland beat the Americans 9-3 at the National Stadium in Dublin.
World 51Kg champion Rau’shee Warren got Team USA off to a positive start with a 20-9 victory over Ruairi Dalton, of the St John’s club in Belfast.
But seven wins on the trot courtesy of Ryan Lindberg, Paddy Barnes, David Oliver Joyce, Denis Hogan, John Joe Joyce, Katie Taylor and Roy Sheahan surged the hosts into a unassailable lead.
David Oliver Joyce, the current European Union featherweight champion, edged out 2008 Olympian Raynall Williams on a 13-12 count-back after a 6-6 tie.
And Irish 2008 Olympian John Joe Joyce, a first cousin of David’s, registered a 20-2 win over Charlie Watson, Joyce’s left jab doing most of the damage in an impressive performance from the 22-year-old.
The St Michael’s Athy man also impressed defensively, remaining well covered up during close-range combat and leaving the American with only fleeting glances of a rapidly moving target in the open exchanges.
Meanwhile, World lightweight champion Katie Taylor, whose dad Peter was working her corner, produced a constant barrage of well-timed combinations to stop Queen Underwood in the second frame after the American took her third standing count.
Roy Sheahan, who captained the Irish side tonight, made it 7-1 to Ireland with an 8-3 win over Javontae Starks. But Paul Koon reduced the deficit with a 45-37 count-back win from a cracking heavyweight contest with John Sweeney.
However, Irish senior lightweight champion Eric Donovan became the fourth St Michael’s Athy boxer to have his hand raised in victory with a dominant 31-7 win over Eric Fowler in the final bout of the evening.
The 75Kg David Joyce versus Aleem Whitfield and 91Kg+ Anthony Crampton v Michael Hunter bouts were cancelled because of injuries to Whitfield and Crampton.
St Michael’s Athy young gun Willie O’Donoghue and Ryston ace John Daly produced an entertaining exhibition bout, O’Donoghue winning 12-9.
Ireland v USA Arch Centre Athy, Kildare March 1st Results
48Kg: Paddy Barnes (Ireland) beat Louie Byrd (USA) 17-11 51Kg: Ruairi Dalton (Ireland) lost to Rau’shee Warren (USA) 9-20 54Kg: Ryan Lindberg (Ireland) beat Ernie Garza (USA) 18-6 57Kg: David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) beat Raynall Williams (USA) 6-6 c/b 13-12 60Kg: Eric Donovan (Ireland) beat Eric Fowler (USA) 31-7 60Kg: Katie Taylor (Ireland) beat Queen Underwood (USA) RSC2 64Kg: John Joe Joyce (Ireland) beat Charles Watson (USA) 20-2 69Kg: Roy Sheahan (Ireland) beat Javontae Starks (USA) 8-3 75Kg: David Joyce (Ireland) v Aleem Whitfield (USA) (off) 81Kg: Denis Hogan (Ireland) beat Siju Shabazz (USA) 11-8 91Kg: John Sweeney (Ireland) lost to Paul Koon (USA) 19-19 c/b 37/45 91+Kg: Anthony Crampton (Ireland) v Michael Hunter (USA) (off)
Ireland win 8-2
