New fight date secured for Spike O’Sullivan

Spike O’Sullivan [30(21)-3(2)] will continue on the road to a light middleweight world title shot when he returns to the ring later this month.

The Cork fighter has been handed an Friday August 23rd fight date and will trade leather once again on a Murphys Boxing show in Boston.

The Paschal Collins trained fighter will fight for the third time at 154lbs on the top of just the second pro fight night to play out in the Encore Boston Harbor’s swanky Picasso Ballroom.

The popular Mahon man, whose defeats came against Billy Joe Saunders, Chris Eubank Jr and David Lemieux, takes on Argentine opposition live on UFC Fight Pass as he continues to try and work his way into title contention at the new weight.

Providing the opposition for the 35-year-old’s second fight of 2019 will be Diego Marocchi [18(14)-4(3)-1].

The Argentine is being built as a come forward battler, but at 42 shouldn’t cause too much problems for the now supremely clean living O’Sullivan, who has looked strong and even rejuvenated at the lighter weight. 

Marocchi is a product of the highly-criticised ‘World Pugilism Commission‘ where quality is extremely low compared to that of the more reputable and established ‘Argentina Boxing Federation’.

All of the Argentine’s wins have played out on such shows versus fighters with poor records and his two ventures away, to Canada, have seen early stoppage defeats.

Another WPC graduate, Guillermo Ariel Lettieri, came with a similar inflated record and was proposed provide a test for Limerick prospect Lee Reeves in Canada earlier this year but lasted less than a round.

The eight-round mismatch looks to be little more than an opportunity to keep busy and build his record for O’Sullivan.

The Leesider is looking to enter the rankings of one of the four major bodies and secure a title shot versus one of the champions – Jaime Munguia [WBO], Julian Williams [WBA and IBF], Tony Harrison [WBC].

Joining O’Sullivan, who impressively broke up Khiary Gray last time out, on the bill will  be the likes of Abraham Nova, Carlos Gongora, Khiary Todd, James Perella as well as six local debutants.

“People are still buzzing about our last event at Encore Boston Harbor,” says Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey – the Murphys Boxing co-founder and promoter.

“It’s so exciting to be coming right back to Encore and on UFC Fight Pass with our big guns like Spike, Nova and Gongora all on the same card while the excitement is still in the air.”

‘Spike’s’ stablemate Niall Kennedy takes on Olympian and former vaunted prospect Devin Vargas on another Murphys show the week previous, while there is talk Craig O’Brien could fight Stateside in September.

Ray Moylette and Niall O’Connor were meant to compete on the Encore Boston Harbor’s Picasso Ballroom first ever event last month, but visa mix ups prevented them from appearing. Larry Fryers did appear and got up off the floor to record stoppage victory in the fight of the night versus Bryan Abraham.