Saidhbh Greene – “It was a big test for me to see if I would make it”

Former underage star Saidhbh Greene made a successful step up to adult level, and a step up in weight, on Friday night to take home the National Senior (Intermediate) lightweight title

In a clash of styles against the rangey Ciara Dowling from Carrickmacross, Greene was given the nod for her inside fighting over the Ulster boxer’s impressive jab, taking a unanimous decision win after four rounds.

Greene, of St Brigid’s Edenderry spoke to Irish-Boxing.com after the win and described how “It was good, I really enjoyed it. It was my first fight in two years in the National Stadium, I haven’t boxed here since the under-18s so I was delighted to get back and get a win.

It was an eye-popping eleventh Irish title for Greene, but her first at adult level, and she admitted that “it was a big one, it was a big step up for me. Coming from junior/underage there was a big difference, it was a women I was boxing in there tonight. It was a big test for me to see if I would make it.”

“I prefer boxing people that are taller than me because I’m so short anyway. It’s been the way I’ve been trained to box for years, it’s always been to box girls that are taller than me, I love it.

Lightweight is, of course, the weight where Katie Taylor dominated world boxing for a decade. With the Bray legend now gone pro, there will be a hunt to find a replacement – but Greene isn’t putting her name in the hat. The cheerful fighter laughed at the thought and explained how “I used to box at 54kg…. and then I went to college! College happened. A year off happened.”

“I shouldn’t have been at 60kg for this. I was making 60kg alright for this, I was meant to do 57kg for this, but I wasn’t going to pressurise myself into making 57kg and then to go back up and to try and make it over Christmas. At least now, I’ve made 60kg two weeks ago and I haven’t moved since, and I’ll be able to go down easy enough”

“I’m going to take about a week off, then I’m in camp with China, Canada, and Norway with Liam [Brereton] in Edenderry for a week and then I’m going to put my head down over Christmas and go for the Elites in February, and the under-22s. There’s also meant to be a team going to Boston from Donegal, and I’m in college in Letterkenny, so I’ve put my name forward for that, so I’m waiting to hear back on that too.”