O’Kane gets chance to make his mark on the World Stage
Dungiven’s Eamonn O’Kane, the IBF number 10 ranked Middleweight, will box Lithuania’s experienced Virgilijus Stapulionis for the IBF Intercontinental Middleweight title on the undercard of Martínez vs Frampton 2, ‘TITANIC SHOWDOWN’, Saturday the 6th of September at Titanic Belfast, in the city’s historic Titanic Quarter. With ‘TITANIC SHOWDOWN’ going out live in five continents around the World, former amateur star O’Kane has been given a huge opportunity by Cyclone Promotions to make a global statement on the 6th of September when he takes on the big-punching Lithuanian Stapulionis. A convincing win for O’Kane will elevate the Dungiven stylist up the coveted IBF rankings and into a position to challenge for the World title.
O’Kane, the former Commonwealth games gold medalist and current Irish and WBC International Silver Middleweight champion, has his sights set on current IBF World champion Sam Soliman. The Australian defends his World title against former Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor on October 4th and with a convincing win over Stapulionis O’Kane can expect to move up the IBF rankings and into a position to challenge the winner in the not too distant future. The man known as ‘King Kane’ was very impressive in his last fight as he scored a devastating first-round knockout of the Mexican Alvaro Gaona on the 4th of April at the Odyssey Arena and O’Kane, 12 – 1, will be looking to put on an equally impressive display against Stapulionis on the massive ‘TITANIC SHOWDOWN’ undercard.
Virgilijus Stapulionis, 23(16)-3, is a well-known customer on the World Middleweight scene. The Lithuanian puncher has been in with many contenders and has ended the hopes of prospects all over Europe. He was last seen in the UK losing a highly controversial points decision to Patrick Mendy at London’s York Hall in February of this year. The man from Pasvalys in northern Lithuania has two impressive victories over Finnish Middleweight prospect Niko Jokinen, 21-2, last year and in 2012 Stapulionis ended the career of London’s former Commonwealth and IBO champ Richard Williams via a brutal first-round knockout at the Excel Arena.
It is clear that this will be one of the toughest tests of O’Kane’s career but it is a fight the Dungiven man is fully confident of winning, “I need to be tested against boxers of this guy’s caliber, I’m in the top-ten in the World and I have to be beating men like Stapulionis if I want to be boxing for a World title. It’s fantastic to be on such a massive show, it’s a huge event that’s being broadcast all over the globe and I want to put out a big statement to all the Middleweights on the World scene that I’m coming for them. I’ve had a great training camp and I’m 100% prepared for anything this guy has to offer. It’s my time to shine and I can’t wait for the 6th of September!”
Lithuania’s Stapulionis countered the Dungiven man’s claims with a confident response, “I have beaten prospects before and I am here to win once again. I want that IBF Intercontinental title to take home to Lithuania! He may be ‘King Kane’ but I’m the prince here to dethrone him!”
Cyclone Promotions CEO Barry McGuigan is delighted to be putting on yet another title fight on the undercard of the massive Martínez vs Frampton 2, ‘TITANIC SHOWDOWN’ bill. “Eamonn O’Kane vs Virgilijus Stapulionis is a cracking contest. This is two class Middleweights boxing for the IBF Intercontinental title and for the chance to cement their place in that governing body’s top-ten. Sam Soliman is the current champ and he is a man that I believe is beatable. If Eamonn can beat Stapulionis and win in style then there are endless opportunities for ‘King Kane’ on the World scene.”
The vacant IBF Intercontinental Middleweight title bout between Eamonn O’Kane and Virgilijus Stapulionis will take place on the undercard of ‘TITANIC SHOWDOWN’, headlined by Carl Frampton’s challenge for the IBF Super Bantamweight World against champion Kiko Martínez on Saturday the 6th of September at Titanic Belfast, in the city’s historic Titanic Quarter. ‘TITANIC SHOWDOWN’ will be shown in high definition live and exclusively in the UK and Ireland on BoxNation, the World’s only dedicated Boxing channel, SKY channel 437/HD 490, Virgin channel 546. Subscribe to BoxNation at www.boxnation.com.
