Willie Donoghue claims gold in boxing’s ‘mini World Championships

Former AIBA World Junior champion Willie Donoghue claimed gold at the Pavlyukov Youth Memorial in Anapa, Russia on Friday.

But current European Junior champion Michael Nevin was controversially beaten by a Russian opponent at the "mini World Championships".

Donoghue, who boxes out of the St Michael’s Athy BC, recorded his fifth victory in five days to see off the challenge of Kazakh fly Stoyan Mazur on a unanimous decision.

But two of the three judges awarded Roman Kulikov a split decision over Portlaoise BC welter Nevin. The two judges that were not officially scored marked all three rounds to Nevin.

Coach Billy McClean, who was working Ireland’s corner with Fergal McKenna, hailed Donoghue’s performance, but described the Nevin verdict as a “disgrace”.