SEPTEMBER: THE SEASON STARTED WITH CHRISTY LAVEY (63KG)FIGHTING IN THE ULSTER NOVICE
CHAMPIONSHIPS IN TOOME A.B.C.CHRISTY BOXED IN THE FINAL, WHERE HE WAS BEATEN ON POINTS. ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT WIN, CHRISTY SHOWED
A LOT OF PROMISE FOR THE FUTURE AND WE WERE HAPPY WITH THE PERFORMANCE, ESPECIALLY FOR A FIRST TIME IN THE RING.
OCTOBER: THE START OF OCTOBER SAW THE FIRST EVER ULSTER INTERMEDIATE NOVICE CHAMPIONSHIPS,
OAK LEAF SENT TWO BOXERS, DECLAN "SMUDGER" SMITH (81KG) AND DARREN "SUNBED" QUIGLEY. SMUDGER FOUGHT IN THE PRE-LIMS AND WON
ON POINTS. THE NEXT NIGHT BOTH BOXERS FOUGHT IN THE SEMI-FINALS, FIRST UP WAS QUIGLEY ON HIS FIRST VENTURE INTO THE RING HE
CAME UP AGAINST A MUCH TALLER AND MORE EXPERIENCED M.HAWKINS AND UNFORTUNATELY THE HEIGHT WAS THE DECIDING FACTOR AS THE SMALL
OAK LEAF MAN LOST ON POINTS, BUT HE WILL LEARN A LOT FROM THIS FIGHT!! NEXT WAS BIG SMUDGER WHO MET SMALL AND STOCKY CONOR
NEILL, DECLAN STARTED THE FIGHT USING THE BIG JAB AND KEPT THE SMALLER MAN OUT, BUT TRIED TO MIX IT AND GOT CAUGHT WITH A
BIG RIGHT HAND. DECLAN THEN CAME BACK INTO THE FIGHT USING HIS BOXING SKILL, JUST AS SMUDGER WAS GETTING ON TOP HE RECEIVED
A SECOND COUNT FOR WHAT LOOKED LIKE A SLAP ON THE GLOVES, VERY HARSH AND THE FIGHT WAS STOPPED ON A TECHNICALITY!!
NEXT UP WILL BE THE NINE COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIPS ON SATURDAY 20TH OCTOBER, WEIGH-IN 10:00 - 11:30. CLONOE
A.B.C, COALISLAND
WE WILL HAVE SEVEN YOUNG BOXERS ENETERED FOR THESE; GAVIN MOORE (60KG), EOGHAIN McCALLION (70KG), RAYMOND
ROGAN (48KG), AARON ROGAN (44KG), EMMETT O'BRIEN (57KG), JOSH GALLAGHER (48KG), MICHAEL GILLESPIE (39KG).
NINE COUNTIES REPORT:
MONDAY 22ND: THREE BOXERS REPRESENTED OAK LEAF IN THE SEMI FINALS, AARON ROGAN, GAVIN MOORE AND EOGHAIN
McCALLION.
"WEE ROGIE" WAS FIRST AGAINST R.PREECE, A TALL SOUTHPAW. ROGIE USED HIS RING CRAFT AND LANDED SOME GOOD
SHOTS ON THE BACK FOOT AND HAD A COMFORTABLE 7 - 2 VICTORY. EOGHAIN WAS UP NEXT AGAINST D.HARPER OF LISBURN, McCALLION SHOWED
GREAT COMPOSURE AND LANDED SOME BIG SHOTS ON HIS STURDY OPPONENT, HE ENDED UP VICTORIOUS IN A CLOSE CONTEST 11 - 10. MOORE
HAD A WALKOVER TO THE FINAL AS HIS OPPONENT CAME DOWN WITH FLU. SO IT WAS A GOOD NIGHT FOR THE CLUB.
TUESDAY 23RD: THIS SAW TWO OAK LEAF BOXERS IN THE SEMI FINALS, MICHAEL GILLESPIE AND JOSH GALLAGHER. "CHUCKY"
WAS FIRST UP AGAINST M.MCWILLIAMS OF BELFAST KRONK AND ALTHOUGH THE FIGHT WAS CLOSE, THE DECISION WENT 11 - 6 AGAINST CHUCKY
IN WHAT MANY THOUGHT WAS A POOR DECISION!! JOSH WAS NEXT AGAINST S.McCOMB OF HOLY TRINITY. McCOMB WAS VERY TALL AND VERY SKILLFUL
IN THE END THE HEIGHT ADVANTAGE TOLD AS JOSH COULD NOT REACH AND UNFORTUNATELY GOT CAUGHT ON THE WAY IN, THE CONTEST WAS STOPPED WITH RSC 2. UNLUCKILY FOR HIM JOSH SEEMED TO HAVE GOT THE TOUGHEST DRAW AND CAN TAKE HEART
FROM THAT.
WEDNESDAY 24TH: RAYMOND ROGAN WAS THE LAST SEMI FINALIST FROM OAK LEAF, AND CAME UP AGAINST FORMER IRISH
CHAMPION DAVID NEVIN, CAVAN. THIS WAS A TIGHT FIGHT FROM THE FIRST BELL TO THE LAST WITH ROGAN LOSING ON WHAT SEEMED A WAYWARD
SCORE OF 11 - 4, BUT COACHES WERE VERY HAPPY WITH ROGIE'S PERFORMANCE AND FEEL HE CAN BUILD ON THIS.
ROGAN AND MOORE SCINTILLATING IN FINALS
SATURDAY 27TH OCTOBER SAW THE FINAL OF THE NINE COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIPS AND FOR OAK LEAF IT WAS
A VERY REWARDING DAY, APART FROM THE UNFORTUNATE WITHDRAWAL OF EOGHAIN McCALLION DUE TO FLU. FIRST TO TAKE THE RING WAS AARON
ROGAN AGAINST CAIRIAN FERRY (DUNFANAGHY). WEE ROGIE WAS IN FIFTH GEAR FROM THE FIRST BELL AND CARRIED OUT A VERY IMPRESSIVE
DISPLAY OF COMBINATION PUNCHING WHICH SHOWED GREAT COMPOSURE TO WIN THE CONTEST 19 - 2. NEXT WAS GAVIN MOORE AGAINST
FORMER OPPONENT PAUL QUINN (SACRED HEART, BELFAST). QUINN HAD DEFEATED MOORE TWO YEARS AGO IN THE FINAL OF THIS COMPETITION,
BUT MOORE SHOWED HOW FAR HE HAS COME BY SHOWING AN ARRAY OF PUNCHES WORTHY OF WINNING ANY TITLE. MOORE LANDING DEVASTATING
RIGHT HAND - LEFT HOOK COMBOS FORCED A COUNT IN THE SECOND AND EVENTUALLY WON 22 - 9.
NOVEMBER: FRIDAY 2ND NOVEMBER SEES THE PRE-CHRISTMAS OAK LEAF SHOW. (DETAILS ON
RECENT AND UPCOMING EVENTS SECTION). REPORTS WILL FOLLOW!!
TUESDAY 6TH NOVEMBER SEES THE ULSTER INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE DOCKWORKERS SOCIAL CLUB, BELFAST.
OAK LEAF A.B.C FAVOURITE GEAROID MCGILLOWAY WILL BE OUR SOLE ENTRY IN THIS COMPETITION AT 75KG.
GEAROID HAD HIS FIRST BOUT IN THE DOCKERS ON WEDNESDAY 7TH NOVEMBER AGAINST EAMONN BREEN (ST BRONAGHS).
FROM THE FIRST BELL GEAROID DICTATED THE FIGHT LANDING SOME CRISP RIGHT HANDS TO THE BODY, THIS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE FIGHT
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SURPRISED TO HEAR THE SCORE CALLED A DRAW AND GEAROID WON 18 - 17 COUNTBACK, VERY POOR SCORING.
FRIDAY 9TH NOVEMBER SAW AN ALL DERRY SEMI AGAINST PAUL FERGUSON AND THIS WAS A TIGHT FIGHT THROUGHOUT THE
SCORE ENDING UP 28 - 19 AFTER GEAROID LOST FOUR POINTS FOR LOW HEAD THIS AGAIN SEEMED VERY HARSH!!!!
DECEMBER: SATURDAY 1ST DECEMBER SEES A REMATCH BETWEEN DARREN QUIGLEY (OAK LEAF)
AND DARRAGH MULLAN (ST CANICES). THESE TWO MET IN OUR HOME SHOW IN WHAT WAS A VERY EXCITING MATCH. THEY NOW MEET AGAIN AT
THE RADISSON IN MULLAN'S HOME SHOW, GOOD LUCK "SUNBED KID"
CO DERRY BOARD WILL HOST THEIR ANNUAL DINNER/ PRESENTATION SHOW IN THE DU PONT CLUB, TUESDAY 11TH DECEMBER.
WE WILL HAVE TWO BOXERS FIGHTING ON THE NIGHT IN WHAT PROMISES TO BE A COUPLE OF CRACKING CONTESTS. GAVIN MOORE WILL FEATURE
AGAINST CURRENT IRISH AND FOUR NATION CHAMPION PADDY HARKIN (CLONMANY) IN WHAT WILL BE A CRACKING LIGHT-WELTER CONTEST. AARON
ROGAN ALSO FACES A CURRENT IRISH CHAMPION IN THE FORM OF DANIEL FULLERTON (KEADY), INDEED THIS IS A REMATCH OF THE IRISH SEMI
FINAL IN WHICH FULLERTON SCRAPED A 5 - 3 POINTS WIN, SO THIS WILL BE A VERY KEENLY CONTESTED MATCH UP. GOOD LUCK BOYS
ALSO ALL AT OAK LEAF WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE GAVIN MOORE ON HIS SELECTION FOR THE ULSTER TEAM WHICH FACES
LEINSTER IN DUNDALK, SUNDAY 16TH DECEMBER. WELL DONE AND GOOD LUCK!!
