Paddy Hyland plans Dublin show in June
Paddy Hyland has once again turned his hand to promoting, with a show lined up for June 4 in Dublin’s National Stadium. All three of Hyland’s fighting sons will feature, including super-featherweight Eddie who is returning after a period away from the sport. Paddy’s no-nonsense brawler Robbie Long will headline, as the Dubliner vies for Gary O’Sullivan’s Irish middleweight title.
Andy Murray was also set to get a run-out but the Cavan lightweight has since been put forward to face Gavin Rees for the European title, also in June.
“I’ve done a deal with the National Stadium,” explained Paddy Hyland. “It’s the 21st anniversary of our club which was actually formed on June 4, 1990 so it will be bang on the day. We will be running a pro-am card so there will be four amateur bouts opening the show. Make no mistake, the amateurs on it will be good boxers; hopefully some senior champions will be the opponents, fighting lads out of our gym.”
The last time Paddy hired out the Stadium was in April 2008 when Eddie and Patrick co-headlined in Irish title fights on an action packed bill. Eddie narrowly outpointed Kevin O’Hara and Patrick emphatically halted a returning Paul Griffin in three rounds to send the crowd into raptures.
“Paul Griffin was talked about for this show but he won’t be on,” said Hyland. “It’s a seven-fight card so one more fighter will be added; it will probably be either Finbarr Eade or Ian Tims. There will be a bit of a theme to the show, celebrating the Golden Cobra anniversary.”
Paddy makes a habit of sticking all of the Hyland siblings on together, always in decent scraps. Eddie Hyland went to war with Oisin Fagan in Tallaght back in July 2009 for a minor IBF belt and Paddy tried to bring the ever-popular Fagan back again, for a blast at Patrick Hyland this time.
“It’s so difficult finding an opponent for Patrick, we initially thought it might be an Irish title defence or even a move up to super-featherweight. We could have agreed terms with Oisin Fagan but he didn’t feel he could make the weight, despite having a couple of months to boil down. It’s not at all easy getting Patrick matched and in his last fight with Suat Laze [November 2010 in Castlebar] he had his man going, in the seventh round, and I told him to hold back because if he keeps knocking people out then nobody at all will want to fight him.”
The youngest member of the trio, Paul, challenged Willie Casey for the European super-bantamweight crown in November last year. The short notice Limerick assignment proved a bridge too far however as Willie overwhelmed ‘Paulie’ in the fourth round. As Paddy previously explained it has been a frustrating time trying to get Patrick into meaningful contests, although his activity level has dramatically increased since a link-up with Brian Peters was forged.
“Some people have said that we aren’t afraid to take chances with our boys and that is true,” Paddy stated. “If the opponents come over and make weight then we’ll fight them. Tomas Rohan is doing the matchmaking and Brian Peters is watching over things, as Patrick’s manager, so we’ll see how it goes. All in all, it looks like being a good show.”
