Luke Keeler v Conrad Cummings Rematch CONFIRMED
Middleweights Luke Keeler [15(5)-2(1)-1] and Conrad Cummings [16(7)-2(0)-1] will do battle again this year with the second Irish pro show of the year being confirmed.
It’s a second pro show of the year at the famous Ulster Hall, too, with a big card in the historic Belfast venue being announced this evening for Friday March 29th.
Keeler and Cummings will top the bill – which will be streamed live on YouTube – in a repeat of their 2018 clash.
Dubliner Keeler dominated last April on the Frampton-Donaire undercard at the SSE Odyssey Arena, live on BT Sport, picking up the vacant WBO European title in the process.
The Ballyfermot fighter hurt Cummings early before coming through horror cuts around his eyes to post a wide scorecards win – with the final tallies reading 99-91, 97-93, and 98-92 in his favour.
Tyrone’s Cummings has called for the rematch since, describing his performance as having been the product of an ‘off-night’.
Since their first meeting, Keeler has fought just once, in August at Windsor Park. After a fight with Joe Mullender fell through, ‘Cool Hand’ breezed past journeyman Dwain Grant on the stadium show and he looked to move on versus Brian Rose in December at the York Hall.
Alas, a back injury forced the Pete Taylor-trained 31-year-old to pull out of the fight with former world title challenger Rose.
With this withdrawal, Keeler vacated his WBO rankings belt – but retained his #11 ranking – to allow Rose and Cummings to fight for the title with the winner facing him in the new year.
Another twist then saw Blackpool’s Rose pull out of the Cummings clash with injury and the Coalisland pressure fighter would instead pick up the belt for a second time with a win over Hungarian light middleweight late replacement Ferenc Berki at the Titanic Exhibition Centre – although the 27-year-old was not rewarded with a world ranking for this.
This win, plus a six-round triumph over Southern Area champion Nicky Jenman and an early stoppage of journeyman Jan Balog, has secured the Jamie Moore-trained ‘Mr Dynamite’ a rematch with his managerial stablemate.
No undercard bouts have been formally announced for the bill as of yet but Irish-Boxing.com understands that another major all-Irish clash is in the works for the Ulster Hall bill.
The card, which comes a month after the big MHD Promotions bill at the same venue on February 9th, is the second confirmed Irish bill of 2019 and this is expected to soon become three once news of ‘Celtic Clash 8’ is officially unveiled.
