Illies boxer on course for World Championships

Tyrone McCullagh gave the Irish team selectors more food for thought after he won the Irish Senior Open with an emphatic victory over Drogheda’s Sean Kilroy on Friday night. The Illies Golden Gloves featherweight built on last week’s victory over reigning European Union Champion David Oliver Joyce with a 7-0 points win at a packed national stadium on Friday night. After a cagey opening two rounds McCullagh led 3-0 and defended his lead on the offensive in the final round to record his convincing win. The victory represents McCullagh’s first national senior success after he reached the semi-finals of the National Seniors in February and was a beaten finalist in the Ulster Seniors in April. The open tournament was held to help choose the Irish team for the AIBA World Championships in Milan at the start of September. But with only one boxer from each weight division being selected, McCullagh could still lose out to the more established Joyce. The 18 year old will get a further opportunity to impress when he represents Ireland in a round robin tournament against Uzbekistan, England, Finland and Holland over the first weekend of August in the National Stadium.