POLISH veteran Andrew Golota switched to southpaw to leave Irish heavyweight Kevin
McBride’s ambitions of a world title shot in tatters at Madison Square Garden in New York in the early hours of last Sunday morning (Irish time).
Monaghan-born McBride, nicknamed the Clones Col-ossus, had Golota in all sorts of trouble in the opening round in the Big Apple, but the Pole weathered the onslaught.
The 39-year-old then switched from orthodox to southpaw in the sixth and a straight left followed by a barrage of punches opened a gash around McBride’s his left eye – and the fight was stopped 18 seconds from the bell.
Boston-based McBride, who beat Mike Tyson in Washing-ton over two years ago, had been hoping to use Golota as a stepping stone to an eventual world title shot. But now it remains to be seen whether the 34-year-old will continue on.
He said: “I don’t think the ref should have stopped it but I was having trouble seeing out through my eye. He really didn’t hurt me until the end. I had thought I had him in the first but it wasn’t to be.”
Golota, who collected an IBF North American belt after the win, admitted that it was a tough fight and complimented McBride.
The Pole fought Tyson in 2000, and the fight was stopped in Tyson’s favour in the third but then declared a no-contest after Tyson tested positive for marijuana use.
Golota said: “McBride surprised me with his hand speed and stamina, especially in the first round and it was touch and go but I held out. This win proves that I can fight anyone.”
Elsewhere, unbeaten Irish middleweight Andy Lee dropped American James Morrow twice inside the first round to rack up his 12th win on the trot in Chicago last week. And now the Limerick southpaw could be set for a homecoming in the near future – Jackman Park, home of Limerick 37, could be a possible venue.
Morrow went down like a dynamited chimneystack after he was hit with a body shot from Lee less than two minutes into the first. The Indiana born puncher beat the count but was floored by another left to the head 30 seconds from the sanctuary of the bell and the ref stopped the contest.
Lee had his manager and coach Emanuel Steward, who has trained over 30 world champions, in his corner in Bourbon Street, Chicago. But the former Irish Olympian revealed that it was advice from his brother Roger, who was also at ringside for the fight, that paved the way for victory.
He said: “Morrow was being very cagey and kept covered up and my head shots weren’t getting through at the start of the fight.
“But I could hear Roger shouting to go for the body, and I did, and it worked perfectly and the fight was stopped when he went down again after I caught him with a left to the head.
“I was delighted to be going home early and I guess people will say that this was very easy. But I have been in training camp for over a month for this fight and I was feeling really sharp.”
Lee, who boxes out of the Kronk Gym in Detroit, had been due to box in Michigan on 18 October, but that promotion does not look like it will go ahead.
Commenting on the prospect of fighting at Jackman Park in his native Limerick, Lee said: “I loved boxing in Dublin a few weeks back and I got a tremendous reception from the crowd which was fantastic. But Limerick is my town and I want to box in front of my own people.
“A few venues have been mentioned for Limerick, and fingers crossed that it will happen as I would love to box at home.”
In the amateur ranks, World and European lightweight champion Katie Taylor is using the Land of the Midnight Sun to prepare to eclipse her opponents and win her third title in a row at the European Champ-ionships, which begin in Denmark this weekend.
The reigning World and European champion is in training camp in Oslo, Norway this week ahead of the European Championships, to be held in Vejle on 14 October.
Taylor was in training camp in Norway before she won her second European title in a row last September, after stopping the then World Champion, Tationa Chalay from Russia, on the 15-point rule in the 60kg final in Warsaw, Poland.
That victory arrived less than two months before she claimed the World Lightweight title in New Delhi, India.
According to her father and coach Peter Taylor, the Norwegian training camp is ideal, and everything is going according to plan.
He said: “We had a training camp here last year before the European Championships and we decided to use this venue again this year as there are excellent facilities here at the Olympic Centre.
“Katie had some excellent sparring sessions against Norwegians and Polish girls yesterday and we will have further sparring sessions against Dutch opponents tomorrow.
“We return home next Saturday before travelling to Denmark. Everything is going according to plan and we are looking forward to the European Championships.”
Taylor received a boost this month with the news that she is ranked number one in the world and Europe for the eighth month running on the ABA rankings just released for September. She is also ranked number one in the world and Europe in the pound-for-pound sections.
Meanwhile, super heavyweight Cathal McMonagle took a two-day rest from training at the Irish squad’s training camp at the Oder Sports Complex in Frankfurt, Germany. The Holy Trinity Belfast ace, a silver medal winner at last June’s European Union Champion-ships at the National Stadium in Dublin, picked up a slight cold and was rested as a precaution.
The Bulgarian national team and a Russian squad joined Germany and Ireland in Frankfurt this week and the four countries will take part in a test match. All four nations are preparing for the AIBA 2007 World Championships, at the University of Illinois in Chicago on 23 October.
Over 120 countries, represented by nearly 700 boxers, will be competing in Chicago, making the championships – which will also act as the first qualifier for the 2008 Olympics – the biggest in world amateur boxing history.
The Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA)’s High Performance Director Gary Keegan was very pleased with the way the Irish squad’s training camp is going in Germany.
He said: “We had no injury problems out here and everything is going according to plan.”
The Irish squad will return home from Germany this weekend before travelling to Chicago on 16 October. The Irish squad and management will be staying at Palmer House Hotel in Chicago for the duration of the 2007 AIBA World Senior Championships.
