OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDALLISTS Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan are the star names on a packed card for tonight’s National Elite Boxing Championships.
No fewer than 10 men’s titles will be decided in the National Stadium with Barnes bidding to regain his light-flyweight crown after missing last year’s tournament through injury.
His bout against defending 49kg champion Hughie Myres from Ryston BC in Kildare will be first up when boxing begins at 7.30pm.
Conlan, who already has three flyweight titles, will be looking to break new ground when he challenges Tyrone McCullagh in an all-Belfast decider for the vacant bantamweight belt.
Elsewhere on the card Olympians Adam Nolan and Darren O’Neill will also fight for titles while Joe Ward will look to clinch his fourth straight light-heavyweight championship.
Tonight’s finals will be screened live on TG4.
Meanwhile seven women’s finals will be decided on Saturday night but Katie Taylor will not be in action.
The European, World and Olympic champion received a walkover in the lightweight division after her opponent Alanna Audley-Murphy withdrew following a family bereavement.
National Elite Championships 2014 - Men’s Finals March 7th
- 49kg Hughie Myers (Ryston) v Paddy Barnes (Holy Family)
- 56kg Michael Conlan (St John Bosco) v Tyrone McCullagh (Holy Family)
- 60kg Sean McComb (Holy Trinity) v David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy)
- 69kg Adam Nolan (Bray) v Stephen Donnelly (All Saints)
- 75kg Darren O’Neill (Paulstown) v Michael O’Reilly (Portlaoise)
- 81kg Joe Ward (Moate) v Matthew Tinker (St Francis)
- 52kg Adam Courtney (St Marys) v Chris Phelan (Ryston/Defence Forces)
- 64kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise) v Dean Walsh (St Josephs/St Ibars)
- 91kg Gary Sweeney (Olympic) v Stephen Ward (Monkstown, Antrim)
- 91+kg Con Sheehan (Clonmel) v Dean Gardiner (Clonmel)
