Boxing:Los Angeles Matadors from the World Series of Boxing are chasing Irish 2012 Olympian Michael Conlan and Dublin super-heavyweight Sean Turner. Conlan, who qualified for the London Olympics at the World Championships in Azerbaijan earlier this month, is considering an offer from the American side.
If the 19-year-old, who boxes out of the St John Bosco BC in Belfast, does sign for LA he’ll shift up from flyweight (51Kg) to bantamweight (54Kg). That’s a move that could see him meet his fellow Irish Olympian John Joe Nevin if Nevin’s Paris United and LA qualify from their groups in the WSB.
Nevin helped Paris win out the inaugural WSB Team Championships last season and reckons the Parisians will be one of the sides to beat again in the new term which begins next month. Turner, who met Ken Okungbowa in last night’s U-21 final at the National Stadium in Dublin, is understood to be close to agreeing terms with LA and could sign today.
Meanwhile, Donegal welterweight Willie McLaughlin, a quarter-finalists at the 2009 World Championships in Milan, is on his way to Italian side Milano Thunder for one season. Patrick Gallagher, the 2010 Commonwealth champion, is close to signing for India’s Mumbai Fighters, who have also expressed an interest in Mayo’s Ray Moylette, the current European light-welter champion.
Irish captain Ken Egan and Tipperary super-heavy Con Sheehan both inked one season contracts with the Leipzig Leopards last Tuesday and David Oliver Joyce looks set to line out for Istanbulls for a second term.
However, the youngest of the Irish contingent, Joe Ward, the current European light-heavyweight champion, has snubbed the WSB to concentrate on qualifying for the Olympics. Ward, who turns 18 tomorrow was being chased by the Astana Arlans of Kazakhstan but says his focus is on the 2012 Irish Elite Championships and next April’s final Olympic qualifiers for European boxers.
The 2011/12 WSB season will be contested across two inter-continental groups of six teams each. The top four teams in each group qualify for the play-offs. Boxing begins on November 11th.