LIVE UPDATES – Celtic Clash 11
The insanity of the Celtic Clash series resumes this afternoon in the Alicante suburb of Guardamar.
The Guardamar Arena will play host to eleven Irish fighters as Boxing Ireland Promotions bring the show on the road.
Julio Cesar, Robert Burke, Cathy, Kevin Cronin, Owen O’Neill, Danny Keating, Jake Hanney, Martin Quinn, Dylan Wilson, Alan O’Connor, Stephen McAfee and Owen Duffy all feature on a massive day of Irish boxing.
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Running Order – The running order and list of opponents can be found here.
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Streaming Info – The card will be streamed in its entirety on the Boxing Ireland Promotions Facebook page (CLICK HERE).
Irish-Boxing.com will be providing round-by-round updates for each of the eleven fights of Irish interest below, with the first fighter due in the ring just after 3 o’clock (Irish time)
Refresh page to see live updates.
7:53pm – And McAfee rounds the night off for us with a win on the cards and moves to 7(3)-1(1)-1.
Round 4 – Exhibition stuff in the final round from McAfee. That was a tough opponent but he made it look handy.
Round 3 – McAfee landing some huge hooks up against the ropes but Gonzalez showing no signs of budging. The Dubliner’s sharpness after such a period out is impressive.
Round 2 – Gonzalez is giving it a good go but McAfee is in control, digging in nice shots to the body and switching upstairs effectively.
Round 1 – It’s Showtime. McAfee controlling the pace and missile-ing in thudding shots. Looks very assured.
7:33pm – Final fight of Irish interest now – Stephen McAfee – and he’s up against the tough-looking Sergio Gonzalez over four rounds.
7:29pm – And Wilson gets the win on the cards!
Round 4 – Sensational stuff. Wilson’s right hand can’t miss and is jarring Gandarias every time but the two continue to swing away. No defence, no backwards gear, just a pure scrap. What a fight.
Round 3 – Wilson attacking furiously and, while he does appear to be tiring, has Gandarias stunned thrice. What a cracking fight this is.
Round 2 – Some very nice bodywork from Wilson who looks physically strong. Gandarias is game, dangerous, and busy – but the cleaner connects are coming from the Irishman who makes a big breakthrough in the closing moments, sending his square-on opponent down with a flurry for a 10-8 round.
Round 1 – Up Dylan Wilson! Straight in with the big shots and rocks Gandarias with a huge right hand. The Spaniard is up for it, though, and is looking to trade with the young Dub.
7:08pm – Second-last fight for the Irish coming up next – debutant Dylan Wilson who is up against Fernando Gandarias.
7:05pm – It goes to Gregores! Another majority decision – 40-36 x2 to the South American and a 38-38 drawn card. Quinn drops to 3(1)-2(0).
Round 4 – Quinn is exhausted but he keeps catching Gregores as he comes in – but there’s no power on the shots and the Argentine is able to get inside and land his own shots. What way will it go?
Round 3 – Gregores is trying to physically bully Quinn and is given a talking to by the referee but the Irishman needs to be busier to take the rounds. A strong finish to the third gives a bit of encouragement, though.
Round 2 – Quinn is picking the much better punches as Gregores backs him to the ropes and windmills, missing mostly, but how will the judges see it?
Round 1 – Gregores is up for it and swinging wildly. The overhand right has caught Quinn a few times as he tries to stick to his boxing. In a real fight here.
6:45pm – No time to dwell, Martin Quinn is in now in Fight #9. Fights Ezequiel Gregores in a light welter four rounder.
6:43pm – Not 100% on the cards but it appears it was a split-decision for Palacios – with one judge giving O’Connor every round.
6:41pm – Well now, Palacios thinks he has it…. and he does! Don’t agree with that result at all.
Round 4 – Palacios pushing hard in the final round here but O’Connor is coping well.
Round 3 – Keeping it all off the jab, O’Connor is in control.
Round 2 – O’Connor is a good addition to the scene. Boxing really nicely here. Fairly slick.
Round 1 – A nicely-timed counter has Palacios momentarily staggered but he remains dangerous and O’Connor needs to keep his head.
6:20pm – Aaaand we’re back – time for Alan O’Connor v Eligio Palacios. Four rounds at light welter.
5:57pm – Bit of a break now before fight #8 – the debut of Alan O’Connor.
5:56pm – That’s Hanney now up to 6(5)-2(1) after ending his sabbatical.
Round 1 – This won’t last long, Hanney knocking Ajtai back with every shot before switching southpaw and sending his man down with a right hook to the body. Back orthodox, he’s in for the finish and gets it with an uppercut. TKO1 Hanney!
5:51pm – Next up it’s the long-awaited return of Jake Hanney. He faces Hungarian Szylvester Ajtai over four.
5:49pm – And he does get it. 39-37 x3 for Duffy who improves to 5(2)-2(1).
Round 4 – Duffy’s superior fitness really showing here and he has Zeledon pinned to the ropes for the entirety. Should have this now.
Round 3 – Better from Duffy who is working inside while Zeledon swings into clinches.
Round 2 – A low blow from Zeledon forces a pause and he is trying to rough up Duffy here who needs to keep busy.
Round 1 – Southpaw Duffy keeping things tight here in the opener. Zeledon looking wild.
5:21pm – Up next is Owen Duffy who is moving down to welter and faces Alexander Zeledon over four
5:20pm – And Keating gets the win and moves to 4(3)-0.
Round 4 – No budging the Nicaraguan but that is a very impressive outing from Keating.
Round 3 – The crafty Omier employing every trick to stay in this fight as Keating hunts him down.
Round 2 – Omier comes up quickly but is soon put in his place by Keating who retakes control and starts lining up some very heavy shots.
Round 1 – Keating looking long, quick, and classy, staggering Omier who is already in survival mode.
4:59pm – Up next in Fight #5 and the long awaited return of Cork’s Danny Keating. The Mitchelstown welter has a four rounder with Geiboord Omier.
4:57pm – Long pause, plenty of nerves, BUT O’NEILL GETS IT! Not sure of the scores but it’s good news for The Operator who moves to 6(0)-0 following four tough rounds.
Round 4 – It’s furious in the final round as the pair exchange at close quarters. The two are loving it in there, grinning as they trade. This could go either way.
Round 3 – Better boxing at the start of the third from O’Neill who is keeping things tighter. Aleksandrov doing a lot of holding could and maybe should be docked.
Round 2 – O’Neill ships one early but is back with a HUGE right hand. This is a proper fight. Both landing big shots.
Round 1 – This is an open fight already. Both throwing and landing – O’Neill moreso but he needs to be careful!
4:35pm – The show must go on. It’s Fight #4 and it’s Belfast welterweight Owen O’Neill who is in a four rounder with Petar Aleksandrov. He’s a tough guy who hung in there with Sean McComb a few years back.
4:32pm – That result sees Cesar drop to 3(1)-5(4).
Round 2 – Cesar is quickly dropped twice and it’s all over! TKO2 Heredia.
Round 1 – Cesar is almost knocked out with the first punch but somehow manages to survive the Heredia onslaught and most of the round before being floored in the final seconds. He’s up but he’s going to need something special to dig out a positive result.
4:25pm – Bit of a delay but the boys are in the ring now and ready to go.
4:18pm – This could be a banana skin for Cesar. Definitely a tricky fight on paper. Heredia has proven difficult for some prospects in the past.
4:16pm – Next it’s the third of the super middleweight / light heavyweights – Belfast’s Julio Cesar. ‘The Gladiator’ is in versus Fernando Heredia looking to build on his sensational 2019 win over Sean McGlinchey.
4:12pm – It’s been over two years since his last pro bout but Robbie Burke’s record has finally moved up to 3(3)-0. Looks dangerous.
Round 1 – Burke throws shots with venom and scores a huge knockdown with an overhand right. Hungarian Magyar rises and Burke is in for the kill with hooks from both hands and, eventually, his opponent goes down again, counted out, it’s all over, KO1 Burke!
4:05pm – Anyway, we move on and it’s straight into Fight #2 – Robbie Burke v Norbert Magyar. Four rounds at super middle.
4:03pm – That scoring is interesting. Can’t see how you could give anything more than a round to Borisov so their could be a few nervy moments for fighters later on this evening when we go to the cards!
4:02pm – We go to the judges’s card and it’s a majority decision – 40-36, 39-37, and 38-38 for Cronin who moves to 4(2)-0.
Round 4 – Cronin on the hunt now, firing in uppercuts from the hip and staggering Borisov once more. The veteran is in survival mode, clinging on and spoiling to the bell, drawing the ire of the referee.
Round 3 – Cronin upping the pace and keeping Borisov on the end of constant long shots, hurting the Bulgarian and sending him into the ropes. Big round for The Kingdom Warrior.
Round 2 – Borisov comes out aggressively, letting the hands go and disrupting the rhythm of Cronin. The Kerry fighter responds by digging in some hard shots and targeting the body, looking to tire Borisov.
Round 1 – Borisov is a big boy and dangerous with the overhand right but Cronin is keeping things calm and on the outside, pumping the jab well and sneaking in the odd bodyshot.
3:43pm – The stream is live and Kevin Cronin is in the ring. Light heavyweight four rounder v Bulgarian Daniel Borisov.
3:32pm – Just received a quick update there from promoter Leonard Gunning – Fight #1 (Kevin Cronin) will be on in about 15 minutes time!
3:15pm – The stream has yet to go live but rest assured you haven’t missed anything.
3:00pm – We are live and due to start shortly (although the 3:05pm first bell is likely to be delayed because, well, #boxing). Some bad news to begin with, though, with it recently emerging that Cathy McAleer is out of her fight tonight because her opponent fell ill overnight.
Thanks so much for the messages. What a journey, I am not only pro fighter it’s happened to. To commit,sacrifice,travel & 3 opponent changes. 3rd lady Martin Horgasz.We booked-paid her flights- covid tests. Now she’s a temp & not flying 🤦♀️ I regret to inform all,I have no fight. pic.twitter.com/mSthjmU3Ae
— cathy mcaleer (@cathymcaleer) June 26, 2021