Night of Champions – LIVE UNDERCARD UPDATES
We are set for a festival of domestic boxing in Dublin tonight.
JB Promotions promote a stacked 14-fight card at the famous National Stadium.
Of those 14 bouts, four are title fights, but there is action worthy of your interest right through the card.
Irish-boxing.com are ringside and will be providing live updates throughout the evening.
Please refresh page to see live updates below:
David Kennedy – Bahadur Karami
It’s Bombs away as the ‘The Bomber’ got the first Irish win of the evening.
David Kennedy and his game foe made sure the night got off to an entertaining start.
As flagged beforehand, Karami came to have a go and looked to have the Wexford man in trouble at the end of the first.
A shot left the home corner fighter sitting on the ropes, as he got to get up he seemed to go over on his ankle, took a knee and rose to semi-unsteady feet.
The Jonathan Lewins-trained fighter kept it long and straight in the second half to good effect and by the midway point of the third, Karami was being docked for continuously punching the back of the head.
The fourth proved entertaining with both toughing out and digging deep in an attempt to get the win.
In the end it was Kennedy who got the first victory via a 38-36 scoreline.
Cathal Crowley – Grant Dennis
Without the influence of the war loving Spike O’Sullivan is his corner, Crowley was patient, composed and boxed to Pascal Collins instructions early on.
The Cork super middleweight boxed behind a solid jab and picked his moments across the first two rounds. By the midway part of the third, and possibly because Dennis started to show some ambition, the 23-year-old began to sit down on some shots.
One spearing one two in particular delighted Mike Perez and excited a sizeable Cork contingent.
The Celtic Gym Warrior fighter moved through the gears across the next two and drew blood from the former English title challenger.
In the last Crowley knocked his opponents gumshield out but Dennis was not for stopping.
Crowley moves to 7-0 courtesy of a 59-55 win.
Lateef Bayo Alabi – Stefan Nicolae
Nicolae wasn’t in the mood to give the Tallaght man a warm welcome to the pros.
The away corner fighter came out swinging in wild fashion, making him hard to figure out. The Westside graduate stayed relaxed, landed a body shot that slowed his foe down, and sent him south to the canvas soon after.
Excitement levels were through the roof going into the second but Alabi followed Frank Stacey’s ‘compusure’ orders and boxed well. It led ot a beautiful slip left hand shaking his foe’s whiskers in the second.
Nicolae was on the canvas twice since but from slips rather than punches.
Alabi lost his shape a bit in the third and which prompted a clash of heads that saw the home fighter cut in his professional fight.
Possibly inspired by the cut, the southpaw boxed more off the back foot in the last, playing madator to the Romanian bull. Still, he pulled out a shot that dropped his foe. Rather than go for the kill, the new to the game pro finished the game showboating for the Stadium crowd happy to take his 40-34 victory.
Oisin Treacy – Octavian Gratii
Treacy wondered what Gratti he’d get in his xx pro fight. A big right hand landed in the first suggested he got the game one!
The Bray native wasn’t hurt but was in a fight and had to stay busy across the opening three to keep his foe at bay.
The JB Promotions man landed a beautifully timed uppercut at the start of the second but took a left hook soon after as another entertaining fight began to break out.
Treacy began put some distance between himself and his eager foe in the third and landed a stinging combo when his opponent did get in close.
A spin right hand then stumbled the away corner regular but he was still there and eager to scrap come the end of the round.
Just when it looked Treacy might be positioned to stamp his authority on proceedings, Gratti showed why he is one of the more respected journeymen on the circuit.
He made it scrappy, drew blood from Treacy, possibly with his head, and machine gunned to the body.
Tracey showed stomach for the fight and was on top, but was getting an extremely valuable workout.
The Wicklow man was managing to pierce his opponent’s guard in the final stanza despite but again Gratti responded and was ready for a last 30-second salvo against a bloodied Treacy.
The fight went to the cards and the JB Promotions man got a well deserved but hard earned 59-55 win.
Podge Collins – Ryan Labourn
Collins set a high pace in the first round, keen for work and looking for action.
‘The Problem’ wasn’t necessarily causing problems, but responded in kind and it led to an entertaining bout.
Collins moved through the gears in the third and began to bully the Brit back to the ropes, where he landed some good shots.
The English away corner man got a big gee up before coming out for the last and the latest of the Collins boxing family to take to the ring welcomed the challenge to fight.
Another entertaining round followed. The home fighter got on top to the extent his followers thought he was going to get a stoppage. However, Labourn is notoriously tough and was never not going to see the final bell.
As it was Collins had his hand raised after a 39-37 win.
Cian Reddy – Petr Brodsky
The only thing Cian Reddy said he was sure Petr Brodsky would do come fight night was come with ambition.
His prediction was proved right. Brodsky ensured the game journey man element of the night continued. The fighter with first-round knockouts on his resume was looking to land power shots right from the off.
He was wild and awkward, although it was ann approach that allowed the Portlaoise fighter to show his boxing IQ.
Reddy jabbed and move impressively and by the end of the second round had the Lativan’s face a bloody mess without having to sit down on any shots.
Proceedings continued to be bull matador through three and four with the ‘Country Kid’ proving to be a city slicker.
By the fifth it looked like a gear change or one of his well-timed body shots could prove to be enough to get the IGB man a first career stoppage.
However, Brodsky found a second wind, and although not overly threatening, showed resilience and looked six-round capable.
He took one lovely short sharp step back hook well and a faint downstairs land up stairs overhand right didn’t faze him too much.
Reddy scores a 60-55 points win.
Eoghan Lavin- Jan Balog
Eoghan Lavin brought his famed Farmer power to the fore as he secured the first stoppage win of the night and celebrated his Irish title debut in style.
The Mayo man dropped Jan Balog 1:45 into the first round to record the fifth pro win of his young career exactly 11 years after he secured a first Irish title at the same venue.
After working the body from the off the Anthony Crolla trained boxer unleashed a short, sharp uppercut that crashed Balog to his knees.
Having tasted the power the away corner man was in no position to sample a second serving and the referee waved away proceedings.
Steven Cairns – Francisco Javier Lucero
It was Dublin debut delight for Steven Cairns as he dazzled on DAZN to move 11-0.
The Cork fighter returned to the where venue he made his name as an underage amateur and recorded an eye catching win.
It was composed but considerably spiteful from the prospect looking to progress to contender across the opening three minutes.
By the second and without breaking sweat he was hurting his Mexican opponent. A brilliant right hand widened his opponents eyes and some vicious body work had him wincing.
‘The Irish Takeover’s’ output increased in the third and with well times combinations latent with vicious intent landing there was only every going to be one outcome.
Not long after he survived a count, the fight was halted after 1;51 seconds of the third. Cairns left his foe slumped on the ropes, Not count was needed and the referee stoped the fight.
Que back flip.
Sean Murray – Richie O’Leary
Richie O’Leary laid down an early career marker with a statement win live on DAZN.
The Dubliner showed guile and grit to out point Sean Murray.
O’Leary sprinkled moments of class on top of a war of attrition, dropping his foe twice to claim deserved victory.
Having gone six rounds and impressed in all Irish competition, O’Leary may look toward title action next.
It wasn’t long about warming up with neither shying away from action, although their approaches where different.
O’Leary was having success with well schooled straights shot while Murray was trying to exert physical presence on proceedings and found a home for the left hook early on.
That continued to be the narrative in the second until the Dublin side of the fight unleashed a left hook of his own. So well timed was it it but Murray on the seat of his pants and so well executed was it that the Meath man rose with blood smeared all over his face.
The taste of blood spurred war loving Murray on but O’Leary took lots of confidence from the knock down and began to walk his opponent onto clean shots.
However just when it looked like O’Leary was about to pull away, Murray’s persistence allowed him to make it messy and he began strong arm his way back into the fight.
It was the cleaner work of the Dub versus the combative style of Murray in what was a hard to score fourth until O’Leary used Murray’s aggression against him.
The boxer. who was tasting all Irish action for the first time, walked the all Irish veteran onto a southpaw left hand and a mixture of power and momentum saw Murray fall onto the ropes.
O’Leary rattled the bearded head of Murray with a volley of leather at the start of the second and looked set to get a finish.
However, Murray is made of stern stuff and was still there as the bell sounded to start the last.
The final three minutes was a perfect synopis of the fight with Murray’s bravery on display but O’Leary’s accuracy and timing winning him the stanza.
O’Leary wins 57-55.
