LIVE UPDATES – Pro Boxing Show Cork
Pro Boxing makes a welcome return to Leeside tonight.
Siam Warriors Cork and Martin Horgan promote a cross-code card at the Parochial Hall in Cork.
Five pro fights follow an eventful afternoon of Muay Thai with action said to get underway from 19:30.
Tommy Hyde tops the bill against French opposition and will be looking to continue his KO start in his first pro fight in his hometown.
Cathal Crowley also fights in his county for the first time, while Kerry’s BUI Celtic and Irish title challenger Kevin Cronin makes his first steps into the super middleweight weight class.
Maurice Falvey increases Kerry’s representation on a Rebel County card, while David Ryan continues his busy start.
Irish-boxing.com are ringside and will be providing live updates.
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Maurice Falvey – Adam Cieslak
Adam Cieslak stopped the party from starting early by breaking Maurice Falvey’s duck egg in the opening fight of the card.
The Pole battle his way to a draw in the super middleweight contest. The Kerry fighter took the first two rounds clear but the industry and endeavour of the away fighter allowed him to get a share of the spoils.
Referee David Irvine scored this one 38-38
The Kerry fighter fought off a solid jab in the opening stanza and used straight shots to find his way into the ascendency. Some clever bodywork looked to kill any Cieslak adventure but the Pole landed a right hand at the end of the round that caught the home fighter’s attention.
There was more spite to Falvey’s work in the second session, he walked his opponent onto some solid right hands and was hurting Cieslak to the body.
So on top was the 26-year-old he flirted with a flurried finish as the round came to a close, but the journeyman who more often than not goes the distance fired a big right off the ropes to remind the referee he wasn’t hurt, letting Falvey he was still in a fight in the process.
Both fighters looked to be feeling the pace in the third. Falvey looking to land eye-catching big single shots and lost his regular output as a result. The Pole on the other hand went for the volume approach, marching forward in what was an even round until the Tony Davitt mentored Musnter man landed three uppercuts in the final 30 seconds.
Falvey was up on his Kerry Football sock-decorated feet in the final round, picking shots well but the away fighter kept coming winning a round that earned him a draw and ensured the home fighter got six rounds worth of work condensed into four.
Falvey’s record now reads 1-0-1 while Cieslak is a 5-11-1 fighter courtesy of the draw.
Dave Ryan v- Marian Wesolowski
Dave Ryan proved he has as much flair as fight and as much skill as will as he got the first Irish win of the night.
The Shannon kickboxing convert produced a uniquely aggressive skill show to whitewash Marian Wesolowski.
There were flashes of real quality from Ryan throughout the six rounds and plenty of grit to go with the guile, as he produced six rounds that prompted some ringside to suggest he could be up there with the most fun Irish fighters to watch.
Ryan came out aggressive from the off and a beautifully timed short left hook nearly brought him a first-30-second finish.
Showing impressive accuracy, timing, and variety he began to hurt a Pole, who would have been buoyed by the fact his stablemate had secured a draw in the opening fight.
Although the attack-minded approach meant he took some shots and was bloodied at the end of the round.
The blood inspired Wesolowski to start the second fast and amid calls from coach Shaun Kelly for Ryan to keep it long, the Limerick-raised Shannon-based fighter had to ship a right hand.
The shot must have dislodged whatever was blocking the lightweight’s years because began to use his toes and box. He checked hooked well and picked some eye-catching shots, although the 21-year-old who came into the fight on the back of a first-round knockout win did enjoy some success.
The kickboxing convert fooled some into thinking he has a schooled amateur career with some brilliantly picked shots in the third. One pull-back right hand had the crowd on their feet, while there was impressive bodywork and some well-timed hooks.
Indeed, by the end of the round, Ryan had hands down by his waist Roy Jones style. To his credit, Wesolowski was still there and still throwing playing his part in an entertaining clash.
The pace dropped somewhat in the final round allowing Ryan to put on a skills show of sorts as he continued to impress. Ryan took the power of his shots in his second-ever fifth round almost setting himself up for a big finish, although the fighters did exchange blows in the last 30 seconds and Ryan’s corner felt a left hook landed flush was going to secure their man a knockout finish.
The Clare fighter wanted to go to war in the sixth only for his corner to preach patience. However, It didn’t lessen the entertainment in another high-paced round as both fighters fired shots, Ryan’s the more potent and accurate.
Irish Boxing Awards Debutant of the Year, Ryan is now a 4-0 fighter while his most recent victim slips to 3-6-1.
Kevin Cronin – Santos Medrano
Kevin Cronin roared his way into the super middleweight division in Cork tonight.
The Kerry fighter broke down and took out the teak-tough Santos Medrano in his first fight at 168lbs. The win not only shows Cronin is able to make the weight but could be force in the stacked division.
Granted he was expected to beat Medrano, but not many take the Spanish-based Nicuagrian out in such fashion. Indeed, ‘The Kingdom Warrior’ became the first Irish fighter to get an inside distance win over Medrano. The win sets up an Irish title fight with Craig McCarthy who climbed into the ring after the Kerry win was confirmed.
Cronin dominated from fast start to early finish and forced David Irvine to jump in in the third round after the longest flurry in Irish boxing history.
Cathal Crowley – Patryk Polasik
The Influence of Spike O’Sullivan was clear as Cathal Crowley went into battle with Patryk Polasik in his home county.
The Cork super middleweight had his Celtic Warrior Gym stablemate for a coach as Paschal Collins was absent and did his best impression of his fellow Cork entertainer.
Crowley marched forward and threw big shots for the 12 minutes of his just his second fight much to the delight of a large home support.
He met stubborn resistance with the very tough Pole standing up to the pressure. In fact, Polasik came to fight against the novice pro landing enough to make an impression on the scorecard, Crowley taking a 39-37 win after another entertaining fight.
Crowely improves to 2-0 with the win, while Polasik slips to 1-11-1.
Tommy Hyde – Salim Ben Rejeb
Tommy Hyde sent a packed Parochial Hall wild and proved himself a man capable of bringing big-time boxing back to Cork on a regular basis.
The super middleweight prospect delighted a massive home following with a 59-53 victory over Salim Ben Rejeb.
The Leesider was composed and assured as he headlined his first bill in home town, never letting the occasion get to him against a wiley crafty operator.
Indeed, Hyde showed maturity above his years against the durable and sometimes naughty former French title challenger, registering a win that shouldn’t be overshadowed by the atmosphere and occasion.
The 100 percent knockout ratio is gone but to beat Rejeb untroubled after just four fights and 7 months into a pro career is a mini-statement in itself.
Hyde kept his composure and switched to fight mode after a passionate and loud entrance.
He got behind his jab early and picked body shots around his French opponent’s high guard.
The former French title challenger was trying to get close to take the leverage away from the local favourites’ shots but wasn’t worrying the young prospect when he did manage to close the gap.
Hyde continued to dominate through the third against a fighter, whose sole stoppage defeat came in a title fight. Rejeb showed a little more adventure whipping in body shots, some of which strayed low, but that in turn afforded Hyde more opportunity to land clean.
Long right hands in the fourth started to pierce the defence of Rejeb in the fourth but it was a left hook, that landed when the headliners threw together, that wobbled the away fighters’ legs for the first time.
The crowd sensed the stoppage and called for Hyde to jump his foe, but the fighter could see into Rejeb’s eyes, knew he wasn’t ready to go and sensibly stayed patient.
The NoWhere2Hyde fighter looked to move through the gears in the fifth and landed some eye-catching shots, prompting Rejeb to look to spoil, a tactic that reaped the reward. The Governor did step off right at the end of the stanza which allowed him to land a beautiful counter-body shot right at the death.
Hyde went for it in the final round in an attempt to maintain his 100 percent knockout record, showing real fitness in the process.
However, Rejeb wasn’t going to wilt, took some big shots, and made the final bell. Not that the manner of victory matters much, the crowd still celebrated as if Hyde had won a title.
Hyde is now a 5-0 fighter after just seven months, while Rejeb now has more defeats than wins and holds a 9-10-1 record.
