Murray and Fagan headline Dublin fight night

On most shows having one Irish title fight, usually as the main event, is good enough, but Ireland’s premier promoter Brian Peters has surpassed those expectations by sticking three on together, in Dublin’s compact National Stadium on Saturday 13th February. We were supposed to be treated to four title fights before news broke on Monday that Lee Murtagh had been struggling to recover from a knee injury he picked up in sparring.

While it may not have been totally unexpected, Murtagh’s pullout from Saturday night’s show was pretty annoying as I had been eager to see how he would deal with the raw aggression of a vastly improved opponent in Anthony Fitzgerald. If ever someone deserved a pat on the back it is Fitzgerald’s coach Phil Sutcliffe who has transformed the fortunes of a man who once lay sprawled on the canvas, KO’d by a Latvian journeyman, his career seemingly in tatters. Boxing is the type of sport that guarantees nothing until the two protagonists stand in opposing corners, ready to do battle. There are no frozen pitches or icy pavements to contend with, but ligament strains or occasional losses of nerve do sometimes put paid to bouts.

Not that it will stop me travelling south of the border for a promising headliner (Andy Murray versus Oisin Fagan), intriguing featherweight clash (Patrick Hyland versus Mickey Coveney) and return of the much-missed Irish heavyweight belt (as Coleman Barrett tackles Colin Kenna). Plenty of press releases have been flying about this week so I shall attempt to decipher who said what, and when, before offering some humble predictions of my own as to how the fights may play out.

Andy Murray vs. Oisin Fagan:

Clichés aplenty here as the teak-tough Fagan, a veteran at 36 years old, bids to rip the Irish lightweight title away from the much-fancied Murray, who is eleven years Fagan’s junior. Murray was the decorated amateur who won a bagful of honours and beat good names along the way, while Fagan learned his trade taking fights at short notice on the American undercard scene while working full-time to pay the bills.

There are no secrets between these two when it comes to style. Murray can box and move while Oisin rolls straight forward, applying pressure, trying to wear you down. “The main event is a real crossroads clash between Andy and Oisin and it's a fight Irish boxing fans have been talking about for quite a while now,” said Brian Peters at the press conference to announce this show.

“It's great to headline on RTÉ because it really boosts your profile,” said Murray. “It's going to be great experience for me and it's all part of the learning curve as your career progresses. It's a massive chance for me to show people what I can do and hopefully it will be the start of a big year for me. I've loads of respect for Oisin, we've always got on well but we'll have to put that aside on the night. I've had to fight my friends down through the years in the amateurs, it's just something you get on with and afterwards there are no hard feelings, it's just business at the end of the day.

“Oisin's been in with some of the best and he has all that experience from those big fights he had during his time in the U.S. so I know it's going to b a very hard night but obviously I'm confident that I can win it.”

Murray is the man destined for bigger things and the Cavan man has settled well into his new regime at John Breen’s Belfast gym after a spell in London under Mick Helliett. He’s the EU champion and will be looking to shed the rust following a spell of inactivity (Andy broke his collarbone in sparring last year) and went some way towards doing that in his comeback bout with Alex Bone in December.

“Mentally or physically I probably wasn't at my best going into that fight [with Bone] but I was determined to get back in the ring as quickly as possible. The collarbone was still a concern going into the fight because it was still a bit tender. I sparred ok but you never really know how an injury like that will react until you're actually in there in a real fight. I came through ok and I was happy enough with the win but the collarbone was a little sore afterwards.

Fagan, meanwhile, is complimentary towards his foe. This isn’t an occasion for any bad blood.

“[Andy’s] an exceptional boxer and he's fundamentally sound, with a great amateur pedigree and a stellar reputation,” said Fagan “That said, those who have followed my career up to now, know that reputations don’t really bother me and I tend to get riled up for the bigger occasions.

“I never run from anyone and I will walk through walls to get at my opponent. I fight for the respect of my countrymen and will go toe-to-toe with anyone in the world, to show them the heart and determination of a true son of Ireland. I’ve mixed it with the best in the world and have been unlucky at times, but my luck has got to change at some point and I feel that this is my time to shine!”

Prediction: Murray had a hard time containing the unorthodox attacks of Alex Bone in his last fight but can be excused after missing plenty of ring time. Fagan can pressure him all the way but maybe doesn’t hit hard enough to swing the bout in his favour. Murray should prevail over the 10-round distance.

Coleman Barrett vs. Colin Kenna

You can’t beat a good old-fashioned heavyweight scrap and that is just what this promises to be. Barrett is skilled yet largely untested and surprised a few people with the way he boxed throughout the Prizefighter tournament. Ultimately, a lack of experience and the unconventional format was his downfall but he exceeded many expectations.

“I don't think too many people knew who I was going in to Prizefighter but I trained very hard for it and I gave it a good go,” said Barrett. “Unfortunately it wasn't to be and to get beaten in the final was very disappointing but overall it was great experience for me and I'd love the opportunity to reverse that defeat and set the record straight with Audley Harrison. He's fighting for the European title soon so who knows, maybe if he wins that he'll give me a shot at it.”

Coleman had been absent from the ring for a while, but is now fighting with a renewed vigour and should be able to tame the advances of Kenna, who is somewhat of a nearly-man in the big fights. Coleman isn’t a massive hitter (just two stoppages in ten wins, against one loss) but is a hungry southpaw with good movement and quick hands.

Prediction: Barrett has the skills to outbox Kenna, although probably lacks the power to hurt him, which means we are in for another distance affair with the Galway man taking home the title.

Patrick Hyland vs. Mickey Coveney

Londoner Coveney is only 28 years old but by the end of a bout usually looks a little older than that. The tough southpaw is shorter that his opponent and lacks reach but rest-assured he will still be in there pitching until the final bell. Patrick is undoubtedly the one being groomed for stardom and remains the undefeated member of the Hyland trio. He has age on his side, the looks and, most importantly, the skills to take him a long way.

“It's almost been two years since I won the [Irish featherweight] title so it's good to finally get to make my first defence. It's a title I'm very proud of and I'm not going to let anyone take it off me. Coveney's a southpaw like Paul Griffin but fighting southpaws has never bothered me. I've never been beaten by one and I don't intend to start now!

“They typically tend to be stand up boxers but Coveney's more of a pressure fighter so I won't have to go looking for him so that will suit me and should make for a good fight. Whatever happens I won't be underestimating him, he's been in with most of the top guys in the UK and doesn't get any favours. I heard he was very unlucky to lose to Akaash Bhatia last time out and he's pushed guys like Paul Appleby close so I'm not taking anything for granted.”

Like the Irish football team of the 1990s, Mickey Coveney has benefitted from the parentage rule and qualifies for the Irish title due to fact that his father was born in Cork. Not that he’s complaining, “It will be a very proud moment for me and I know it will mean an awful lot to my Dad,” said Coveney. “It's a big fight for me and I know Hyland has a good reputation and has a decent right hand but I don't fear anyone.”

Hyland needs good domestic fights and could find himself in the ring with Martin Lindsay for a major title if he plays his cards right. That’s one for the future and he will not be looking too far past Coveney, who pushed Kevin O’Hara hard in Belfast recently.

Prediction: Coveney will work hard and try to gain success on the inside but Hyland has a great jab and can use it to full effect. There’s no quit in Mickey but the accumulation could take its toll and the referee may be inclined to jump in, somewhere near end of the bout.

Anthony Fitzgerald vs. Ciaran Healy

When Lee Murtagh withdrew from his match-up, one of his old adversaries moved in to fill the gap. Belfast warrior Ciaran Healy is no stranger at fighting for Irish titles and contested his most recent in Cork last December, going down on points to touted middleweight Gary O’Sullivan on his home turf. Whether Healy is a super-middleweight is debatable but Fitzgerald would not have benefitted from going in with a journeyman for the second fight running.

Ciaran has mixed with the likes of Anthony Small, Andy Lee, Matthew Hall and James DeGale since turning pro in 2003. He lost in three to Jamie Moore in 2008 when defending the Irish light-middleweight crown he won by stopping the aforementioned Murtagh in the King’s Hall, the previous year.

“Ciaran's tough, strong and very experienced and he always comes to have a fight but that will suit me because I won't have to go looking for him,” said Fitzgerald. “I was disappointed to hear that Murtagh had pulled out again but I wasn't really surprised. We were supposed to fight in December on the Matthew Macklin bill and when he pulled out then I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Looking at it now though I think he knew what he was in for and he just didn't fancy the job but I know that Ciaran is the kind of guy that will get in there and have a scrap with anyone.“

Prediction: Healy always comes to win and will be in reasonable condition but Fitzgerald will be even more fired-up following recent events and will be aiming to punish the new man standing in the way of title glory. A strong, aggressive super-middleweight with an improving defence and good basics, Anthony will start finding gaps and could stop Healy as the fight progresses. Ciaran, however, possesses the tactical nous to survive the course if he can mess the local man around.

Undercard:

In a fine undercard bout, Cuba’s Alexei Acosta,who is rumoured to be splitting from manager Gary Hyde, takes on Venezuelan Felix Machado (a former world titlist at super-flyweight no less) at super-bantamweight over 8x3’s. Acosta stopped Sean Hughes in a single round, in Belfast, recently and although that could have been halted a little early, Acosta displayed his fine talents for the duration.

Machado was last seen on these shores conceding a 10-round decision to Bernard Dunne in 2008, but that was right in the middle of a winless streak that has now totalled six consecutive fights. Machado is clearly on the slide yet lasted the 10 rounds with Alexander Munoz in his last contest so should hear the final bell here.

Willie Casey (featherweight) and Jamie Conlan (flyweight) also feature and both should win.

Brian Peters promotes and RTE televises this Yanjing Fight Night.