THE IRISH BOXING REVIEW 2015 EDITION STEVE WELLINGS Copyright © 2015 Steve Wellings All rights reserved. The moral right of Steve Wellings to be identified as author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. You must not circulate this book without the authority to do so. In memory of Paddy Hyland and Eamonn Magee Jnr CONTENTS Introduction Is Carl Frampton Set to Bring Irish Boxing to Heights Never Reached? Jones Backs Frampton to Beat Kiko and Earn World Strap – 5th August 2014 Could the Weather KO Frampton’s Open Arena Plans? – 6th August 2014 Frampton Reveals He Was Unhappy with First Martinez Performance – 13th August 2014 Chris Avalos: ‘I Will Beat the Winner of Martinez-Frampton II’ – 27th August 2014 Chris Avalos Says He’s Being Avoided and Calls On Rivals to Face Him – 29th August 2014 Big Time Boxing Returns to Dublin at the Red Cow Hotel Venue – 2nd September 2014 A Tale of Two Trainers: McGuigan vs. Sarmiento – 3rd September 2014 Sergio Martinez: ‘Kiko Will Knock Out Carl Frampton This Time’ – 4th September 2014 Barry McGuigan: ‘Kiko Return Will Be Better Than the First Fight’ – 4th September 2014 Jamie Conlan Boxes Estrella and Closes In On World Top Five Spot – 5th September 2014 The Waiting Is Over: Frampton’s Fit, Focused and Ready to Fight – 5th September 2014 Anthony Cacace Aims High After Signing with Cyclone – 5th September 2014 O’Kane Ready to Dish the Pain On “Dangerman” Stapulionis – 6th September 2014 Estrella Ready to Put in a Star Performance Against Conlan – 6th September 2014 Lewkovicz Labels Titanic Clash “Most Intriguing Fight of the Year” – 6th September 2014 Rejuvenated Cacace Moving Forward with Fond Memories – 6th September 2014 Frampton: ‘I Intend to Keep This Belt for a Long Time’ – 7th September 2014 Frampton Oozes Class from the First Bell – 7th September 2014 Ringside Scorecard: How I Scored It Round-By-Round – 7th September 2014 View from Press Row: How the Boxing Media Called Frampton vs. Martinez II – 10th September 2014 Matthew Wilton Impresses After Frampton World Title Win – 13th September 2014 Titanic Showdown Undercard: McCullough Leads the Way – 14th September 2014 Titanic Showdown Undercard: Conlan and O’Kane Win – 14th September 2014 Red Cow Round-Up: Full Dublin Show Report – 15th September 2014 ‘Big Sexy’ Looking Good As Turner Blasts Away Another Opponent – 16th September 2014 New Champ Frampton Could Become Greatest Irish Fighter of All Time – 18th September 2014 McGuigan Commends Kiko Performance and Lauds Frampton – 20th September 2014 ‘Titanic Showdown’ Undercard Boxers’ Summary – 21st September 2014 Frampton’s Jab the Key to World Title Victory – 22nd September 2014 Philip Sutcliffe’s Back in Business and Ready for a Title Assault – 22nd September 2014 Keeler Can’t KO Kovacs but Grabs a Points Victory – 25th September 2014 Kassai Gets Six of the Best As Exciting Geraghty Wins Again – 27th September 2014 Dee Walsh Ready for War with Tough Pole Grabiec – 3rd October 2014 Tommy McCarthy Targets Irish Title Showdown – 4th October 2014 Classy Walsh Dazzles at the Devenish – 6th October 2014 View from Press Row: How the Boxing Media Called the Devenish Show – 7th October 2014 Dee Walsh Wins After Outclassing Plucky Pole Grabiec – 8th October 2014 Gerard ‘Boom Boom’ Healy is Back for a Title Shot – 10th October 2014 Fryers Puts the Heat On O’Mara in Belfast – 11th October 2014 McCarthy Delights the Devenish but Tougher Tests Will Come – 13th October 2014 Pat Magee Excited By Big Puncher McCarthy – 16th October 2014 Ryan Burnett Added to ‘Back to the Future’ Card – 18th October 2014 Hyland Jnr to Step Up On ‘Back to the Future’ Card – 22nd October 2014 Sweeney Saving His Best Performance for Tims Revenge – 27th October 2014 Frampton Believes Belfast Atmosphere the Best Around – 31st October 2014 Downpatrick Cricket Club Pro Show Round-Up – 2nd November 2014 Tommy McCarthy Stepping Up Levels in Bid for Title Shot – 12th November 2014 Shane McGuigan: ‘Kiko Was Like a Wounded Lion’ – 14th November 2014 Macklin Title Hopes Dissolve After Dublin Beatdown – 16th November 2014 Another Knockout Win for Hot Prospect McCarthy – 16th November 2014 Tommy McCarthy Excites Dublin Crowd with Fourth Knockout Win – 19th November 2014 Bantamweight Ryan Burnett Aiming to Return with a Bang – 21st November 2014 Walsh Using Irish Title As a Step to the Next Level – 22nd November 2014 Paddy Gallagher’s Back and Ready to Rock the Devenish – 22nd November 2014 Walsh Bashes Maughan in Two and Takes Irish Crown – 23rd November 2014 Dee’s Domestic Destruction: Maughan Mowed Down Early – 26th November 2014 Back with a Bang: Burnett Bops Bulgarian in One – 27th November 2014 McCarthy Pleased with Pro Progress and Promises More to Come – 28th November 2014 Frampton Joins the Northern Ireland Sporting Greats – 29th November 2014 Ringside Pundits Assess Frampton’s World Title Glory – 6th December 2014 The Future’s Bright for Irish Boxing Star Dee Walsh – 6th December 2014 Dee Walsh is Going to the Top Says Expert Trainer Gerard McCafferty – 7th December 2014 Ulster Elite Championships Finals Round-Up – 13th December 2014 Andy Lee’s Dream Come True by Winning World Title – 14th December 2014 Frampton in Confident Mood Ahead of Maiden Defence Against Avalos – 19th December 2014 Chris Avalos: ‘I’m Taking Frampton’s Title By Knockout’ – 19th December 2014 Shane McGuigan Backs Frampton to Knock Out Avalos – 20th December 2014 Irish Boxing Prospects Ready to ‘Stand and Deliver’ – 22nd December 2014 McGuigan Says America is Calling for Frampton – 23rd December 2014 ‘Hungry Avalos Came from the Bottom’ Says Manager Criscio – 29th December 2014 Frampton Out to Make Avalos Pay for Lack of Respect – 2nd January 2015 National Elite Championships Report – 23rd January 2015 Tennyson Ready to ‘Stand and Deliver’ in the Devenish – 4th February 2015 Tennyson’s Ready for British Title After Volosinas Demolition – 8th February 2015 Tennyson Has British Title in His Sights After Devenish Demolition – 17th February 2015 A Win’s a Win for Frustrated Ciaran McVarnock – 19th February 2015 Butler Open to Conlan Scrap but Has IBF Business First – 20th February 2015 Another Win for Paul Hyland Jnr Who Has Irish Title On His Radar – 21st February 2015 Tyrone McKenna Wins Belfast Debut After World-Class Stateside Sparring – 23rd February 2015 ‘Quiet Man’ Felipe Avalos Predicts KO for Son Chris Over Frampton – 26th February 2015 ‘The World is Not Enough’: Europa Hotel Final Press Conference – 26th February 2015 Conrad Cummings Ready to Show Off His Refined Skills – 26th February 2015 ‘Howard Foster is a Great Guy!’ Says Avalos Manager Mike Criscio – 26th February 2015 The Tactician: Chris Avalos’ Brother Has Been Monitoring Frampton – 27th February 2015 Cacace and Cummings Ready for Spanish Tests – 27th February 2015 McCullough and Gallagher Relishing Their Limelight Spots – 27th February 2015 ‘Apache’ Cacace Ready to Bust-Up Bustos – 27th February 2015 Marc McCullough Has WBO Fight On the Horizon After Tune-Up – 27th February 2015 Gallagher Has Changed His Ways and Preparing to Box Clever – 27th February 2015 Carl Frampton-Chris Avalos Big Fight Scorecard – 29th February 2015 Wins for Local Talent On Big Odyssey Undercard – 29th February 2015 Dominant Frampton Ready for the Big Fights After Avalos Destruction – 29th February 2015 Undercard Round-Up View from Press Row: How the Boxing Media Called Frampton vs. Avalos – 1st March 2015 Barry McGuigan: ‘Quigg Needs to Realise That Carl is the Best in the World’ – 5th March 2015 Frampton: ‘Now is the Time to Make Quigg Fight Happen’ – 6th March 2015 Shane McGuigan Puts Quigg and Donaire On the Frampton Hit List – 7th March 2015 Best Super-Bantamweights On a Mega-Fight Collision Course – 7th March 2015 Post-Fight Reaction: Barry McGuigan Responds to Media Questions – 8th March 2015 Dillian Whyte Talks Joshua Rivalry and Klitschko Training Camps – 13th March 2015 Tennyson Ready to Cruise Past Hughes in Title Tilt – 28th March 2015 Tennyson Able to Cruise Past Hughes After Andytown Brawl – 29th March 2015 Tennyson Gets Past Hughes and Has British Title in His Sights – 30th March 2015 Walsh Hungry for Celtic Crack After Dispatching Orlik in One – 1st April 2015 O’Kane Relishing Big Fight in Lavey – 10th April 2015 O’Kane Can See a World Title Shot On the Horizon – 2nd May 2015 Sutcliffe Leads the Way in Dublin with Points Win – 2nd May 2015 O’Kane Moves Closer to World Glory with Gritty Win in Derry – 2nd May 2015 Carl Frampton Joins Up with US Powerhouse Al Haymon – 11th June 2015 Frampton to Defend His World Title in the USA Live on CBS – 13th June 2015 ‘New Beginning’ for Conlan Who Gets Mexican Test in Dublin – 4th July 2015 Barnburner: Conlan Rallies Back from the Brink to Tame Ferocious Granados – 4th July 2015 Gonzalez Jr Out to Spoil the Frampton Party – 14th July 2015 World Title Night: “The Showdown At Thomond Park” – 14th July 2015 Five Boxing Experts Break Down Frampton’s Future Prospects – 16th July 2015 Frampton-Gonzalez Jr: Round-By-Round Report from Texas – 18th July 2015 Sensational Scott Quigg Blasts Kiko in Two and Targets Frampton – 19th July 2015 Domestic Results: Professional Shows in Ireland World Results 2014 World Results 2015 Professional Boxers’ Records Introduction Hello and welcome to the latest instalment of the Irish Boxing Review. It’s hard to believe that we have reached number five already! No wonder I have got little else done over the last few years.