At least three new Irish champions will be crowned at the National Stadium tonight. Nine reigning champions defend their titles in a 12-bout bill. The new champions will be in the light flyweight, lightweight and middleweight divisions.

At welterweight, Neil Gough from the St Paul's club in Waterford will be bidding to win his eighth national championship.

Gough won his first title in 1991 at light welterweight and his winning streak has been interrupted only twice since then - by Michael Carruth in 1992 and Neil Sinclair in 1995 - both in the welterweight division. The first bout of the evening will see a new champion crowned when Harry Cunningham from the Saints club in Belfast takes on John Paul Kinsella from Ballybrack. Cunningham is favourite and will be anxious to set up a possible family double when his brother Liam defends his flyweight title against Darren Campbell in the following bout.

Damien McKenna from the Holy Family club in Drogheda will be defending his title at bantamweight and again he is favourite to beat Michael Burke of St Ibar's in Wexford. The same applies at featherweight where Bernard Dunne from CIE meets James Phillips from St Michael's in Athy. The lightweight title is vacant and promises an exciting contest between near neighbours, Eugene McEneaney from Dundalk and Adrian Patterson from Newry. Patterson caused a surprise in the semi-final by beating Declan Barrett from Rylane on a score of 206 with a highly impressive all-action performance.

Sean Barrett is another defending champion but will be wary of Paul McCloskey from St Canice's in Derry who scored an impressive 25-15 victory over Francie Barrett in the semi-final. Neil Gough meets James Moore from Arklow at welterweight and the carrot of an eighth title is sure to inspire the Waterford man against the comparatively inexperienced Arklow boxer.

Meanwhile, six boxers who won national championships 50 years ago will be honoured at tonight's finals. The champions who won in 1950 were Benny Carabini (Bantam, Arbour Hill), Terry Milligan (Featherweight, Shortt and Harland), Christy Foley (Lightweight, Dunshaughlin), Peter Crotty (Welterweight, Clonmel), Willie Duggan (Lightheavy, Crumlin), Gearoid O Colmain (Heavyweight, North Dublin).

Two other champions from 1950 are now dead. They are flyweight Willie Henry (St Francis, Dublin) and middleweight Mick McKeon (Crumlin).