Ray Moylette aiming to ‘win’ sibling TV battle
Ray Moylette isn’t just hoping to celebrate a potentially career-altering breakout win in front of his home support early next month, the Mayo favourite also plans to toast cementing his status as the biggest TV star in the Moylette family on December 7th.
Moylette can take massive strides toward a place in the world top 15 with victory over Mexican Christian Uruzquieta in their WBC International lightweight title fight, but reveals there is an element of ratings as well as ranking to his ‘Homecoming’ clash.
‘Sugar Ray’ brings big time boxing back to terrestrial television as TG4, who have expressed a desire to build and grow within boxing alongside the Mayo man, show the sport on the box for the second time this year.
With a glint in his eye jokes that Uruzquieta isn’t his only rival on what promises to be an exciting Royal Theatre Castlebar hosted fight night suggesting it puts him in direct competition with his sister.
Sheila Moylette has already enjoyed some success on screen and stage and is currently outshining World Rugby Player of the Year Johnny Sexton as the star of a ‘Mace’ advertising campaign and has also appeared in feature films such as ‘Black 47’ and ‘The Secret Scripture’ as well as RTÉ series ‘Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope’ among others.
Some might suggest while the Paschal Collins trained fighter is the better boxer his sibling’s TV CV means she is better on the box – but Moylette argues otherwise.
The former European gold medallist argues the fact he takes the leading role on a big boxing TV bill pushes him ahead of his talented sister in that regard.
“I will be the biggest TV star in the family, I am at the minute anyway, We are battling alright,” Moylette told Irish-boxing.com with a childish delight knowing his comments would raise a response from his sis – who sang the national anthem for a Red Corner card at the National Stadium last year.
It may seem a strange stance. It certainly veers from the politically correct ‘we are all great’ approach prevalent at the minute but, while it was delivered through a chuckle, when Moylette explains the competitive nature of his household it adds understanding.
“Everything in our house is competition from eating your dinner to who can get up earliest in the morning. We are all a bit driven like that. Even my mother and father would want to know who would win in arm wrestling between the kids and my father picks me out of the rest of them just out of spite. It’s all a bit of craic,” he explains before proving the scenario through by hammering home the point.
“Competition in flowing in our house and with TG4 on board I am ahead of Sheila in the TV star stakes.”
While his competitive edge may not always allow him to admit it, Moylette does appear proud of his sister’s achievement and he can see similarities in their journey to the top of their games.
“Do you know what? She is there with Johnny Sexton on the Mace adds and all that, so she is getting publicity she rightly deserves. She is very good at that but, the same as boxing, it can be hard to get the break through in acting.”
“These ads are like warm up fights for her and hopefully the breakthrough will come. Once your name is out there the opportunities will come.”
