‘HAPPY CHRISTMAS!’ declared a jubilant Mick Conlan as he gave his adoring followers an early current on a frosty Saturday night time in Belfast.
Karim Guerfi was the unlucky man to search out himself on the Falls Street featherweight’s naughty listing and the Frenchman was ripped aside inside one spherical on the SSE Area.
The Conlan Boxing card had suffered some irritating late hiccups – with bouts for Tyrone McKenna, Lewis Crocker, Paddy Donovan, and Paul Ryan all falling off the invoice throughout battle week. Nonetheless, there have been no points by any means for the person in the primary occasion who ensured that the present was no Christmas pudding for the 1000’s in attendance.
Referee Steve Grey gave an aesthetic tribute to the lately departed Mills Lane by proclaiming ‘Let’s Get It On!’ earlier than the beginning of this 10-rounder and his intervention was required with simply 2-45 gone. There was no Fan Man or bitten ears right here although, only a demolition from the resurgent Conlan.
Boxing southpaw, the Adam Sales space-trained switch-hitter started with vicious intent, digging to the physique and backing Guerfi to the ropes with ease. The veteran appeared uncomfortable from the off and shortly appeared much more in order a piercing left hand from the Irishman stabbed into Guerfi’s photo voltaic plexus. Together with his discombobulated opponent slumping into the ropes, Conlan unleashed a barrage of bodyshots and the Frenchman slowly crumpled to the canvas. Rising rapidly, Guerfi staggered throughout the ring, forcing Grey to seize him and name an early halt to proceedings
All through Conlan’s skilled profession it has been instructed that his punching energy, or lack thereof, is a significant flaw. That is maybe overstated and he confirmed that he is usually a cracker when he decked the Gaul with fists of fury. It was the end that was lacking in his four-knockdown dismantling of Miguel Marriaga final trip and, extra importantly, after his enormous first-round flooring of Leigh Wooden of their Nottingham epic.
Whereas serial European champion Guerfi is little question previous his peak and working above his optimum weight, he was no turkey, and a second outing inside 9 months of the crushing Wooden loss sees Conlan enter 2023 in stable form. Talking within the ring afterwards as Shakin’ Stevens’ rang out throughout the world, the native favorite promised to return on St Patrick’s Weekend in a battle for a sanctioning physique title – with reviews {that a} conflict with new beltholder Luis Alberto Lopez is already within the works.
Chief assist noticed Turf Lodge super-lightweight Sean McComb cruise previous Zsolt Osadan. Dancing across the ring all through the ten rounds after which when he had his hand raised by referee Marcus McDonnell, McComb had far an excessive amount of class for the trustworthy stress of Osadan. Pirouetting away every time the unbeaten Slovakian obtained shut and rattling him with southpaw counters, it was a whitewash for McComb who took each spherical on the three judges’s scorecards (100-90 x3) on this vacant WBO European rankings belt battle.
His most full efficiency as an expert up to now, the languid McComb seems to have settled nicely into the 140lbs class following his Commonwealth light-weight title defeat to Gavin Gwynne final 12 months. It’s going to now be attention-grabbing to see whether or not ‘The Public Nuisance’ can show to be a thorn within the sides of the massive home names going ahead.
Returning dwelling to a hero’s welcome following his upset victory over Leon Bunn in Germany in October, St James’s light-heavyweight Padraig McCrory obtained the gang going with an eight-round shut-out of Dmytro Fedas. The Estonia-based Ukrainian was an apparent step down for McCrory who was merely conserving busy forward of larger nights and this led to a messy encounter. ‘The Hammer’ appeared to shut the present early however was not as sharp as he had been in his current run of main match-ups and Fedas evaded a lot of the preliminary onslaught. A nasty gash over McCrory’s left eye within the sixth noticed referee Hugh Russell Jr seek the advice of the ringside physician however the dwelling fighter was allowed proceed and, maybe jolted into motion, dominated the next stanzas to spherical off a complete 80-72 win.
Persevering with a powerful debut 12 months, Tokyo Olympian and 2019 European champion Kurt Walker outclassed aggressive Nicaraguan Yader Cardoza with model. The Lisburn featherweight’s handspeed was simply an excessive amount of for Cardoza – who had challenged for the WBC gentle flyweight title again in 2013. The grizzled Central American tried to pull issues right into a brawl all through the six rounds – a lot to the chagrin of referee Eamonn Magill – however Walker wouldn’t oblige and took a transparent 60-54 win on the scorecard.
In an early attraction, Belleeks middleweight Fearghus Quinn dominated reigning champion Graham McCormack to take the BUI Celtic title. A well-rounded stress fighter, Quinn did heavy injury within the early phases and, whereas his output slowed because the southpaw home progressed, he was nonetheless steadily touchdown large pictures on the gutsy Garryowen man. Certainly, McCormack confirmed bravery past perception and would have stored combating for 800 rounds, by no means thoughts the eight which the bout was scheduled for, however he wanted saving from himself. Referee Padraig Ó Reachtagáin made a go to to the nook for some phrases following the conclusion of a tough fifth and, with 36 seconds of the sixth gone, the towel mercifully got here in.
Oughterard welterweight Kieran Molloy turned heads as soon as once more with a damaging dismantling of Alexander Zeledon. The customer had supplied high-profile Geordie Joe Legal guidelines with some points the earlier week however Molloy ripped by means of him right here. Following two punishing rounds, the Nicaraguan’s nook indicated No Más and Mr Magill halted the competition. Scheduled for six right here, the Prime Rank-promoted Molloy appears set to maneuver into BUI Celtic title competition and to carry skilled boxing again to Galway metropolis for the primary time since 2009.
Opening the present and having his third outing in three months, gifted Falls Street super-fly Conor Quinn had a largely processional win over Manchester journeyman Stephen Jackson. Far superior, ‘The Magnificent’ Quinn strolled by means of the six rounds versus the ambition-less Jackson, finally claiming a 60-54 win on Mr Magill’s card.
VERDICT: Conlan Gives Christmas Cheer
