Short Stories – Moylette dedicates homecoming to the Sugar Rays

The ring has played host to all manner of shorts. All manner of material, shapes, sizes and styles have made an appearance on various fighters over the years, but upon reflection it’s hard to find a pair as unique as the pair Ray Moylette [5(2)-0] wore for his first ever pro fight in Ireland last month.

Having felt he was ready to take the ‘Sugar Ray’ mantle, the Mayo man paid homage to the two greats who made the ring moniker famous with pics the of all time greats Robinson and Leonard on either leg.

The ring attire certainly raised eyebrows at the National Stadium last month as Moylette completed what he has called ‘phase one’ of his career with a fifth career win and you get the impression as well as hat tip to the all time greats that is the reaction the popular westerner wanted.

“To be a successful boxer you don’t just need to have the skill, you also need to stand out from the crowd,” Moylette told Irish-Boxing.com.

“I believe that having shorts that tell a story will bring me to the next level. My first pair of Irish and American flags and iconic symbols received a huge response so I really wanted to up my game for my home debut”

“I have taken on the legendary name Sugar Ray and I wanted to dedicate my first home fight to the two original Sugar Rays. The only way I knew how was to bring them into the ring with me, and with the help of Ciarain in BoxInc I went old school black and white to really try and capture the scene.”

“They will definitely make an appearance in the States real soon.”

While 2011 European gold medalist Moylette seems aware there is an out of ring element to career success, he hasn’t ignored the most important element the fighting.

The 27 year old lightweight has worked his way to 5-0 since turning over in March and getting his name out there with fights in America, England and Ireland.

The busy fighter begins phase two in September with two American fight dates lined up and reveals he hopes to be 10-0 with a title around his waist before he the year is finished.

“As for what’s next I’m pretty busy in September with two fights in Connecticut and Boston. By the end of the year I hope to end up at 10-0 with some sort of a tittle to my name. I know I’m not at the level yet to chase down the major titles but maybe something domestically or something from East Coast of America would go down pretty,” he continued.

Phase two begins in September, but Moylette did take time to reflect. He ended the first stage in Dublin with a win over former BeNeLux champion Innocent Anyanwu and was content with his Irish debut.

“Looking back on the fight in Dublin I’m thrilled with the way I ended my first phase. I had to adapt and overcome a tough journeyman with only one days notice. He really never had the skill level to bother me that much but he was smart enough to wait and pick his big shots. He has plenty of knockouts to his name and he couldn’t have been taken for granted.

“I really enjoyed being back fighting in the Stadium. Great atmosphere and great energy in the room made it very easy to get motivated. I’m already looking forward to my next fight at home. I’m hoping it will be sooner rather than later as in before the end of the year.”