LIVE UPDATES – Once Upon a Time in the West
We are still in the West! Tonight in Mayo for the Once Upon a Time in the West card where we will be ringside.
The six-fight card hosts a potential farewell for Ray Moylette, the return of former world heavyweight title challenger Dillian Whyte, Spike O’Sullivan’s first fight since his world title challenge, the next step in Thomas Carty’s progress as well action for Daniel O’Sullivan and Craig O’Brien.
Irish-Boxing.com will be filing live updates from each fight below.
Please refresh the page to see live updates below:
FIGHT 1 – Daniel O’Sullivan v Martin Balog
Daniel O’Sullivan brought the left hook that earned him the ‘Corduff Canelo’ nickname to Castlebar tonight and used it to secure a first career stoppage.
The Dubliner stopped Martin Balog in the first fight of the Once Upon at Time in the West card within the first round.
Balog looked to be a southpaw with a bit about him. The Czech with two first-round knockouts on his slate was trying to hammer backhands down the pipe.
O’Sullivan was happy to take them on the gloves and press forward. Once he got his foe to the ropes he ripped in the body shots and they won him the fight.
He dropped the away fighter with two left hooks downstairs on two separate occasions before finishing the fight with six seconds remaining in the round via a loaded flurry to the midriff.
The win was ‘Daniel San’s’ fourth of his career but first inside the distance.
FIGHT 2 – Craig O’Brien v Remi Scholer
Craig O’Brien got a much-needed workout and win in Castlebar.
The Irish light middleweight champion ended another stint out of the ring with a points victory.
‘The Iron’ had his hand raised after six high-paced rounds, defeating Remi Scholer of France 60-54 on the referee’s scorecard.
O’Brien wasn’t handed the chance to ease his way back into things, Scholer, who has one upset win on his record, wasn’t in survival mode, showed a level of ambition and enjoyed some success.
Indeed, O’Brien had to stand and fight on occasions in each round, but showed his opponent he could find shots and create angles even in close.
The effort and continuous pressure of Scholer meant the fight was fought at a high pace and O’Brien was reminded of what it was like to take some solid shots.
However, the inner city Dub was fit enough for the job despite the layoff and his natural skillset won him rounds and thus the fight.
FIGHT 3 – Gary O’Sullivan v Sofiane Khati
Gary Spike O’Sullivan suffered comeback defeat in Castlebar in the cards third fight.
The Cork man was as aggressive, brave as ever and played his part in an entertaining war.
However, heart wasn’t enough to get him back to winning ways in what was his first fight since late 2022.
A game Sofiane Khati took a massive scalp winning the fight 77-76.
The Cork man marched forward in typical ‘Spike’ fashion from the off but took some time find his rhythm.
Khati initially sat down on his punches, fired crisp straight shots to try and disuade the O’Sullivan from bullying him. He also was able to avoid anything big that came his way.
O’Sullivan finally found range for his jab at the end of the second and it opened the door for some telling body shots, as well as allowed him to finish the stanza with a trade mark right hand.
To his credit the French fighter took it and came back fighting. In fact, he came out firing in the next and at one stage looked to have the Irish in trouble with three consecutive one twos. O’Sullivan didn’t panic nor did his corner but Team were bouyed and sensed a big win was on the cards.
O’Sullivan was back on the front foot in the fourth and finally began to put some pop in his shots with his body work again looking effective. The Irish side of the fight still had to show he had a chin as a real fight broke out.
The back and forth nature of the fight continued into the fifth but Khati shots were more frequent and appeared to have more behind them.
Spike showed real bravery in the sixth under pressure to the point the referee Padraig O’Reachtagain was considering stepping in. However, he bit down on the gumshield sent his French foe flying back to the ropes and got the crowd off their feet by finishing the stanza strong.
The 39-year-old probably had his best round in the seventh putting his head on Khati’s chest and fighting his way back into contention.
Sensing he needed help the crowd upped the volume level at the start of the last. It inspired both fighters and another entertaining round followed.
Both fighter’s raised their hands on the final bell but there was a tense wait for the card – and when it came it was read the way of the away fighter.
FIGHT 4 – Thomas Carty – Pavel Sour
Thomas Carty put smiles back on the TF Royal Hotel, Castlebar crowd faces.
Showing no ill effects of his stablemate’s upset defeat the Dublin heavyweight chopped down the big tree that was Pavel Sour to register another stoppage win and get the Carty Party started.
The Celtic Warrior Gym southpaw had it done and dusted within 40 seconds of the second round, dropping Sour twice with two very different body shots before the referee waved it off.
The anticipation levels rose through the roof as heavyweight ring walked – and he delivered accordingly.
After a first-round where he tested the chin of his veteran opponent with two big backhands, he went downstairs in the stanza that followed.
A left hook downstairss dropped the away fighter big, he rose to the feet but was reaquanted to the canvas again within seconds this time a feint high and a straight to the solar plexus did for him.
The manner of the win delighted the crowd and Carty got them going further with a rousing post-fight interview, pleasing them to the extent they forgave him for his Dublin for Sam Mayo for Sandwiches taunt.
FIGHT 5 Ray Moylette v Reuquen Cona Facundo Arce
An emotional Ray Moylette got up off the floor to celebrate Castlebar victory on St Patrick’s Day.
The local favourite mustered up every ounce of courage and fight he had left in him to ensure he didn’t suffer the same fate as he did the last time he visited the venue.
The ghost of Christian Uruzquieta – the Mexican who defeated Moylette in 2018 – was looming large when Moylette was dropped in the second and hurt badly at the end of the fifth.
However, ‘Sugar Ray’ wasn’t losing this time and showed pure grit to survive both scares and eventually secure victory over Reuquen Cona Facundo Arce by fine 77-76 margins.
The importance of the win was reflected in Moylette’s reaction to having his hand raised, a roar of delight followed by tears.
It was shades of a certain Uruzquieta in the second as a left hook sent the home favourite to the floor.
Moylette got to his feet and wasn’t long about finding his legs, easing nerves in the venue with a slip right hand at the end of the session and with a very solid third.
By round four all confidence was restored and everything seemed sweet for Sugar Ray.
Fighting behind a high guard he found a home for his jab and began to bloody up the Argentine, although the away fighter again threatened to ruin the party.
At the end of the fifth, he fired an uppercut up through the guard to put Moylette on shaky legs. Showing real heart the Mayo man stayed on his feet when his opponent went for the kill. The referee did consider jumping in but the bell ensured the fight continued.
Moylette was understandably patient and reserved in the early part of the sixth but finished on the front foot, one left hook in particular letting his opponent know he is still there to fight.
The seventh saw a fighter who had twice been hurt drop his hands and somehow take Cona Facundo Arce’s best clean!
Growling he walked through the power shots to land his own.
The crowd rose to their feet in encouragement as they came out for the last, which was a hard to score-entertaining stanza that meant a tense wait for the card.
It went the way of Moylette and the building shook.
FIGHT 6 – Dillian Whyte v Christian Hammer
Dillian Whyte didn’t quite get to nail Christian Hammer to the canvas on the Once Upon of Time in the West card on St Patrick’s Day, rather battered him into early submission on second fight in Ireland.
The experienced German didn’t get up off his stool for the fourth, handing Whyte a 30th career win and his first victory since late 2022.
Whyte, who got a great reception in Mayo and entered the ring in green white and gold, was visibly disappointed with the manner of the finish obviously wanting more rounds upon his return.
There were big shots thrown by both across the first two rounds and it looked like Hammer was not willing to give Whyte a warm welcome back to the land of the big men.
Whyte was winning the rounds but was kept honest for the first six. By the third the ‘Body Snatcher’ was asserting his dominance and slashing to the midriff of the man that has been in with them all. Hammer waved his head as if to suggest he wasn’t in any way hurt but much to everyone’s disappointment including Whyte’s he didn’t come out for the fourth.
The German got off his stool and paced in the away corner akin to a fighter mid ring announcer introductions so wasn’t too badly hurt and the glare Whyte sent him suggested he felt his opponent could have continued.
As it was the fight was done, Whyte got the win and is back in the heavyweight picture.
