DAMAEN KELLY one of Ireland's hopes for a place at the Olympic Games in Atlanta took full advantage of his opponent's shortcomings and inexperience to retain his flyweight title in the National Senior Boxing Championship finals at the National Stadium last night.
David Sweetman, Kelly's opponent, seemed to be on a damage limitation exercise but he could hardly be faulted in this respect because of the enormous gap in experience between the two fighters.
The Ulster champion, who retained his provincial title thanks to a walkover, had not fought since the Multi National tournament in Sweden two months ago. Now, he goes to Denmark next month, for the European Championships with the other 11 Irish champ ions who were crowned last night.
Adrian Patterson the St Patrick's Newry featherweight utilised his southpaw style to beat a game challenger in Terry Carlyle of Dublin's Sacred Heart by 13-3. The contest was virtually over at the end of the second round after which Patterson lead 9-2, his challenger failing to score in the second round. To Carlyle's credit he never shirked in his role as aggressor and occasionally troubled the tall Newry man.
Jim Prior retained his light fly title but his was a very untidy performance as he chalked up a 16-6 win over Colin Moffat of Holy Family Belfast. Moffat made reference to this afterwards when he said: "He never left me alone." The Ulsterman was commenting on Prior's persistent holding for which he was warned twice at the end of the second and the third rounds. Whet her or not Prior hit or missed his opponent he invariably went into the clinch and this upset Moffat no end.
Damien McKenna, the Holy Family, Drogheda bantamweight, was an impressive 11-4, winner over Ulster's Oliver Dotty of the Coleraine club. But Francis Barrett of Galway Olympic earned the plaudits of a full house when battling his way back into contention to beat John Morrissey of Sunnyside in the light welter final.
Barrett, a south paw of great courage, trailed 7-8 in a pulsating second round against a jab and move opponent. But the last round belonged to the Galway man and the crowd rose to applaud him.
Brian Magee, Holy Trinity, was an early winner in unexpected circumstances when his middleweight opponent. Brain Crowley of Ennis, was forced to retire with an eye injury in the second round. The points were added up and Magee was 9-3 ahead at that stage.
Teenage heavyweight Cathal O'Grady of St Saviour's gave an exhibition of solid and, consistently accurate punching in a 16 win over last year's super heavy champion Paul Douglas of Belfast.
In the final bout Sean Murphy of New Ross scored the quickest win of the night at super heavyweight when stopping Tim O'Connor of Knocknagoshel and Trinity College inside a minute.
. WBO welterweight champion Eamonn Loughran will make a mandatory defence against Mexico's Jose Luis Lopez on April 13th at the Everton Park Sports Centre, Liverpool.
