SEVEN reigning champions have entered for the National Boxing Championships which start at the National Stadium tonight. Last year's light welterweight champion Francie Barrett, who has already qualified for the finals of the British championships, is entered in the welterweight division this year.

The defending champions are Jim Prior (light fly), Damaen Kelly (fly), Damien McKenna (bantam), Neil Gough (welter), Brian Magee (middle), Stephen Kirk (light heavy) and Sean Murphy (super heavy).

The non defenders, apart from Barrett, are Adrian Patterson at featherweight, Martin Reneghan at lightweight who has turned professional, Declan Higgins at light middle and Cathal O'Grady at heavy.

O'Grady's name had been entered by his club St Saviour's but the boxer is training in Las Vegas with Wayne McCullough and intends to stay there for another month at least.

There are 92 entries altogether from all four provinces although there is a disappointing entry from Connacht with only three listed, including Barrett.

Inevitably the welterweight division will attract a lot of attention with the reigning champion there, Gough from St Paul's now likely to come up against Barrett in the final.

At flyweight, the final is already lined up with Kelly from, the Holy Trinity Club, Belfast, defending his title against the only other entrant, Tom, McColgan from Coleraine.