Macklin kicks off massive month for Irish Boxing

A massive month for Irish Boxing kicks off at the National Stadium in Dublin with the next Ladbrokes.com Fight Night. It’s the first of three big promotions all featuring Irish talent up against men with true world class credentials. Tonight it’s Irish middleweight champ, Matthew Macklin’s turn to take centre stage as he battles former World Champ Yori Boy Campas of Mexico.Seven days later in Letterkenny Paul McCloskey will also face a test of Mexican machismo when he battles former World Lightweight Champ, Cesar Bazan.

Then on April 12th Bernard Dunne will make his return to the ring in an intriguing clash with former IBF Super Flyweight Champ, Felix Machado of Venezuela.

“Irish boxing is buzzing right now,” said Macklin “and it’s great to be a part of that. I’m delighted to be headlining my own show and I think the general feeling is that my fight with Campas is going to be one for the fans. I think my style will really gel with his style to make it an exciting fight. He only knows one way to fight and that’s to come forward and throw an awful lot of punches but I’m ready to meet fire with fire.

“Ideally I’d like to try and outbox him because that’s why I’ve started working with Buddy McGirt as my new trainer. I think he can help get me back to using the boxing skills I had as an amateur but I know there may come a point against Campas where all that will go out the window and we just stand toe to toe. Part of me even wants that to happen because those are the kind of fight you can make your name in but I know Buddy will be trying to keep me very disciplined in the corner.”

A knee injury has put paid to the Irish Light Welterweight title rematch between Andrew Murray and James Gorman. Murray will still fight on the card against England’s Leonard Lothian but won’t be defending his title after Gorman was forced to withdraw on Thursday night.

The Belfast man suffered ligament damage while out running and had to pull out of the fight following medical advice.

Meanwhile Cuban heavyweight sensation Mike “The Rebel” Perez will look to make it three wins from three in the pro ranks when he battles former Polish amateur heavyweight champion Tomasz Zeprzalka.

Perez, a former World Junior Champ in the amateur ranks has brutally despatched his first two professional opponents in under a round. Now based out of Cork the 22-year-old is already being tipped as a future heavyweight world champion.

Another former amateur star on the card is Dublin’s own Ian Tims. The Clondalkin native is a former Irish Heavyweight champ in the amateur ranks and he’ll be looking to get his pro career off to the best possible start with an impressive win on Saturday night.

Also on the card from Liffeyside is Leon Senior. Originally from Dublin but now based in London Senior will be looking for the second win of his pro career.

Unbeaten Belfast welterweight Willie Thompson also features as he tackles unbeaten Latvian Semens Moroshek while undefeated Polish super middleweight, Albert Rybacki will open the show against American Freeman Taft.

The first fight is at 7.15.

The full line up is:

– Matthew Mackin V Yori Boy Campas – Middleweight (10 Rounds)
– Andrew Murray V Leonard Lothian – Light Welterweight (8 Rounds)
– Mike Perez V Tomasz Zeprzalka – Heavyweight (6 Rounds)
– Ian Tims V Klaids Kristapsons – Cruiserweight (4 Rounds)
– Willie Thompson V Semens Moroshek – Welterweight (4 Rounds)
– Leon Senior V Sandris Tomson – Super Middleweight (4 Rounds)
– Albert Rybacki V Freeman Taft – Light Heavyweight (6 Rounds)

Live coverage of the Ladbrokes.com Fight Night begins on RTÉ TWO at 9pm on Saturday and is also available online at www.rte.ie.