Irish duo Eagleson and Dossen through to European Championships finals

You would have to wonder now if the authors of the anonymous and discredited critical analysis of Ireland’s High Performance Unit in boxing feel even a tinge of utter foolishness as two Irish boxers surged into the European finals in Armenia on Sunday.

Bantamweight Dylan Eagleson and middleweight Gabriel Dossen proved too good for their respective Bulgarian and Italian opponents, both Irish boxers showing lots of class as they secured their final place.

Following on from the success of the Irish women, Amy Broadhurst and Lisa O’Rourke, who won two world championship gold medals last week in Turkey, the Belfast and Galway men, already assured of silver medals, box on Monday to become European Champions.

Southpaw Eagleson was up first in the session with the 19-year-old looking as relaxed as he did in the quarter-final. The counterpunching style and movement of the St Paul’s Belfast boxer worked a treat against the aggressive forward-marching Bulgarian Daniel Asenov, his right jab and hair trigger back left hand scoring the cleaner points.

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All five judges had the Irish boxer ahead after the first round with Irish corner man Zaur Antia clearly heard telling the teen at the break to keep his distance.

That Eagleson did against the punching machine, who, knowing he was trailing, came out in the second round with the tempo ratcheted up. Asenov was throwing lots of shots but not too many scoring.

Eagleson, showing a patience beyond his years, went toe to toe a few times. But his best minutes were from intelligent boxing away from the flying fists of his opponent, who tried his best to close the ring and corner the younger man.

The judges saw it for what it was, a composed and stylish win with all five opting for the Irish teenager, who competes in his first European decider. He faces Bilal Bennemma from France in the final.

Dossen was equally as impressive against Salvatore Cavallero. Another southpaw, Dossen’s right jab and super quick hands had his opponent struggling to make scoring contact.

Also fighting from a distance, the speed and use of the ring was a master class from the Olympic BC, Galway boxer. Leading 4-1 after round one Dossen kept to his winning pattern of rights jabs and a stinging left whenever he saw the opportunity.

The athletic 22-year-old finally closed the bout on a split decision, the Turkish judge the only one of the five oddly seeing it in favour of the Italian fighter. Dossen meets England’s Lewis Richardson in Monday’s final.

It is another success story also for the coaches with head coach Antia flying from the women’s event in Istanbul to Armenia, where he joined Dmitrij Dmitruk and Damien Kennedy.

Even if the two Irish boxers cannot convert their silver medals into gold, it is already a successful European Championships with the relative youth of the two boxers making the Olympic Games in Paris in two years’ time a realistic future target.