Two Irish boxers into European Championship semi-finals

Two of Ireland’s five boxers in Friday’s quarter-finals made it through to the semi-finals to guarantee that Ireland will win at least two bronze medals at the European Championships in Armenia.

Both southpaws, Gabriel Dossen and teenager Dylan Eagleson, earned their passages on split decisions, Dossen beating Norway’s Mindaugas Gedminas 4-1 in the afternoon session and Eagleson making it though against Spain’s Gabriel Escobar, also 4-1, in the evening session.

Dossen’s fast hands were too much for his Norwegian opponent. Moving well and beating Gedminas to the punch, Dossen looked like a boxer that could go the whole way.

He won the first round on all five judges’ scorecards and poured on more in the second round, although Gedminas, knowing he had to bring his level up, was more in the match.

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Still the Galway middleweight, slick and fast and leading going into the third round, caught the Norwegian with a staggering left hand. Claiming he was fine didn’t convince the referee, who gave Gedminas a standing count.

The judges scored it 4-1 to the Irishman for his third win in the competition.

Eagleson had to come from behind to win his bout against a busy Spaniard with a lunging right jab. Patient and with more cleaner shots, the St Paul’s boxer lost the first round 3-2.

There was no doubt it was tight and Eagleson came out in the second round, picked up the tempo and showed more urgency in going about his business.

Throughout the final two rounds the 19-year-old’s counter-punching and hand speed easily matched the Spaniard, who fought from a distance hoping to land big backhands.

The Belfast southpaw also engaged more in the latter part of the bout than at the beginning and looked comfortable controlling the centre of the ring, enough at least to convince four of the five judges he was good enough for the semi-final.

First up in the afternoon session was flyweight Seán Mari who faced England’s Kiaran McDonald. The Monkstown BC boxer trailed after the first round, with the judges awarding it to McDonald 4-1.

The taller McDonald was a good mover and although Mari fought a go forward fight, the slick shot-making of his opponent swung the bout to England 4-1.

Rickey Nesbitt faced Bulgarian Ergyunal Sebahtin in his minimumweight quarter-finals. Like Mari, Nesbitt found himself chasing after the first round with the judges rewarding aggression and the round to Sebahtin 4-1.

From then on it was the Bulgarian controlling and landing the cleaner scoring blows with a good left jab and strong right hand. Leading all the way, the Holy Family, Drogheda boxer bowed out 5-0.

Lightweight John Paul Hale was also beaten by a stronger aggressive Georgian, Artyush Gomtsyan, in his lightweight contest. Almost a head taller than his opponent, it was the smaller boxer who had his opponent defending on the ropes.

From 4-1 down after the first round, four of the five judges called it for Gomtsyan with the Star ABC, Belfast boxer missing out on a bronze medal.