Stronger Ricky Nesbitt ready to go one better

Two years on from being beaten in the final, Louth light flyweight Ricky Nesbit is back and ready to claim Irish boxing’s biggest prize.

The Holy Family Drogheda puncher is one of three boxers vying for the National Elite 49kg title over the next week and got the perfect prep last Friday when he won the Senior [Intermediate] title.

Nesbitt defeated Monkstown teenager Sean Mari to claim the crown and is confident he can now go one better.

Reflecting on the win over Mari – who himself was Elite runner up earlier this year – Nesbitt told Irish-Boxing.com that “I boxed him a couple of weeks ago on an Army show and it went against me. That was a close fight so I knew coming into this one that I had to up a couple of things.”

“The weight has come down, I’ve got fitter since then, camp had only started and I’ve kicked on from the last defeat, I didn’t want to lose this one. I’m still a boxer with limited experience, if you look at my card I’m still only on about 15 fights.

Nesbitt has improved massively since his defeat to Connor Jordan in the 2018 decider, adding plenty more boxing to his physically-strong game.

The Dundalk boxer has won World Universities bronze and the Ulster flyweight title since then and looked better than ever on Friday just gone.
Nesbitt outlined how “I went up to 52 last year but I’m sitting well now at 49, staying close to the weight all the time.”

“You have to stop those sort of guys in their tracks, and Sean Mari is a strong guy as well. I got behind a strong jab and worked off that. I felt I had the fight wrapped up after two rounds but you never know so I kept it safe [in Round 3], catching him when I could and staying out of trouble.”

There’s no rest for Nesbitt who has been given a bye to the Elite final next Friday where he will face the winner of the semi between Diarmuid Toland and familiar foe Mari.