AFTER a year of unprecedented success with three Irishmen holding world titles, the scene is set for further boxing advances at professional and amateur level.
It is expected that Wayne McCullough (WBC bantam), Steve Collins (WBO super middle) and, Eamonn Loughran (WBO welter) will be defending their titles while on the amateur front there is the European championships in Denmark in April and the Olympic Games in Atlanta in July to look forward to.
Unfortunately the build-up to these events sees at least two clashes, of dates. The finals of the National amateur championships are fixed for the National Stadium on March 8th which is the night before Steve Collins defends his title in Millstreet
Later in the month Wayne McCullough will defend his title in The Point in Dublin on the day that Ireland's 12 amateur champions will be flying out to Vejle in Denmark to compete for the European titles and qualification places in the Olympics.
The amateur season gets off "what promises to be a bright start with an 18-bout programme at the National Stadium on Friday night. This is believed to be a new attempt to restore Friday night at the Stadium as the boxing mecca for all the supporters of the sport. Young boxers from all four provinces will be in action.
The format for the national championships has been changed this year and the titles will now be decided after three successive Friday nights of boxing. An entry approaching 90 boxers is expected and it may be necessary to hold some bouts on a Saturday afternoon to cope with the numbers.
The 12 champions can all expects to be named for the European championships. As was the case for the Barcelona Olympics only boxers who reach the last eight in the Europeans will be eligible for the Atlanta Olympics.
The team for the Europeans will fly out on March 30th, the date for Wayne McCullough's title defence at The Point. The finals are scheduled for April 7th.
There is still some doubt about, who will oppose Steve Collins in Millstreet, the scene of his spectacular defeat of Chris Eubank on March 9th. It appears that Vinny Pazienza, the former IBF light-weight champion and former WBA light middleweight champion, was asking far too much to challenge for Collins's title.
There is also some doubt about the suggestion that the European Super middleweight title holder Frederic Sellier from France might fight Collins and similar doubts surround the possibility of a fight featuring Ray Close from Belfast.
Collins is in Jersey where he intends to prepare for the fight but he will be back in Ireland early next week when it is expected that the name of his opponent will be confirmed.
McCullough's next challenger is a Mexican. Jose Luis Bueno has been confirmed as his opponent and as is the case with all Mexicans, particularly in the lighter weights, be sure to be a difficult opponent.
There is still no definite information about an opponent for Eamonn Loughran. He was due to defend his WBO welterweight title in November and December but the bouts fell through. An announcement about a defence is now expected within the next couple of weeks.
The American Supreme Court yesterday rejected an appeal by former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson seeking to overturn his 1992 rape conviction. In his appeal he claimed that his constitutional rights had been violated, Tyson challenged the now-discontinued state system under which prosecutors have the power to help select the judge who presided over his trial.
