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Team Moylette challenge Matt Doherty following fight pull-out claim


Ray Moylette‘s coach doesn’t quite agree with Matt Doherty – but wouldn’t mind putting ‘Sugar Ray’ in with ‘The Mantis’ in the near future.

Earlier this week Irish-American lightweight Doherty [7(4)-3(0)] claimed he had agreed to a fight with the Mayo star this Saturday on a Murphys Boxing card in Boston only to see it fall through following Moylette’s war with Donte Bryant at Foxwoods two weeks ago.

Doherty expressed his disappointment that 27 year old Moylette [6(2)-0], rather than be taken off the card at the House of Blues entirely, instead faces an “easier fight” in Michael Clark.

Coach Paschal Collins however argues that this scenario painted by Salem’s Doherty is hocus pocus “bullshit.”

The Dublin trainer told Irish-Boxing.com that, rather than Moylette turning down Doherty, that it was Doherty’s team who had turned down the fight.

In terms of the change of listed opponent for Moylette from Puerto Rican Hector Rivera [3(2)-2(1)] to veteran Michael Clark [44(18)-17(14)-1], Collins explained that this was due to travel fears for Rivera due to the ongoing hurricanes and tropical storms in the Caribbean.

Moylette himself laughed off the situation, saying “I told you I was going to take the East Coast by storm. I’m only here a couple of weeks and they’re already queuing up for beatings.”

Collins believes a Moylette-Doherty fight could make sense the next time the Celtic Warriors team return to Boston – and challenged Doherty to come to the House of Blues on Saturday night to watch the 2011 European gold medalist in action and meet him afterwards.

The Cabra coach, who also has Spike O’Sullivan in the main event of the Golden Boy on ESPN card, said “tell him to come down, he can get in the ring for a picture after!”

Whether Doherty answers the call remains to be seen, with the 29 year old noting that he has a wedding of a close friend on Saturday – an event he had initially arranged to miss to fight Moylette.

Regardless of what happens Saturday, a meeting of the pair in the near future, perhaps for the Massachusetts State title, certainly seems like it could happen.

Photo Credit: Laszlo Geczo Photography

frayne carpentry

Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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