Huish comes up trumps to capture Euro title in style

WHAT an event on Saturday night in the Menlo Park Hotel. Every fight was quality, the title fights were off the chart – boxing, kickboxing, K-1 at the highest level, top class overseas fighters from France and the UK, and a full house!

Pete Foley introduced the sport of Kickboxing to Galway in 1996 and since then the sport has gone through the roof – he has seen some amazing talent pass through the doors of Black Dragon over the last two decades and like a smooth as silk assembly line, the club just keeps churning them out.

Ten-year-old Josh McHugh opened the show and was amazing, winning all three rounds. Jamie O’Sullivan and Thomas Scarry, both clubmates, had a cracker of a White Collar boxing match with Jamie getting the verdict.

Thirteen-year-old Wesley Ward won by KO in round two over Wexford’s Brandon Maltby in what will surely be one of the KO’s of the year, while Sarah Worsfold from the UK defeated Regina Fanning in an eliminator fight.

Gerry King stole the show with another spectacular entrance and went on to get the win. 17-year-old Saoirse Joyce from Knocknacarra destroyed her opponent Aisling Frayne from Wexford who was ten years her senior, stopping her in the second round. Saoirse will fly to Italy in October with IKF team Ireland to fight in the Unified World Championships.

Leona Trautt made her boxing debut against a boxer from Cavan Boxing club and won an unanimous verdict. Adam Keane from Tuam and Johnny McDonagh from Wexford had an absolute war with Johnny getting the nod and with it a shot at the Irish title.

Cian McCormac from Kinvara (sponsored by Joe McCormack Electrical) won the Junior Irish K-1 Lightweight  title by stoppage with knee strikes in the fourth round.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.