OLYMPIC stars Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan are tipping Seán McComb to land gold at the inaugural European Games in Baku – and they have also backed the other Ulster stars to return home from Azerbaijan with medals.
A Lady Gaga-led opening ceremony at the city’s 63,000-capacity Olympic stadium got the Games under way in spectacular fashion on Friday and, with the boxing beginning on Tuesday, McComb, Brendan Irvine, Kurt Walker, Ceire Smith and Michaela Walsh hope to unleash a few fireworks of their own.
Had they not already secured their qualification for next summer’s Olympic Games in Rio through the World Series of Boxing, Barnes and Conlan could well have been part of the Irish team in the Azeri capital. Instead, they will enjoy a watching brief, and both believe rangy Holy Trinity lightweight McComb will grab the spotlight.
“The reports I’m hearing back from the camp are that Seán McComb’s flying,” said two-time Olympic bronze medallist Barnes.
“If Seán can get to the medal stages, he’ll win gold. People talk about the new scoring system maybe not suiting the likes of Seán, but you don’t necessarily have to be aggressive. You have to be seen to be controlling the bout, and Seán does that because you can’t catch him. He makes people look stupid.”
The word from Baku is that McComb has been sparring well against Russia’s Albert Selimov – the only man to register an amateur win against Vasyl Lomachenko, the highly-decorated Ukrainian who ended his career in the unpaid ranks with a record of 396-1 before going on to become WBO world featherweight champion in just his third professional fight. As a result, Conlan believes McComb’s confidence will be “sky high”.
“He’s hard to get in close to because he is so tall. Seán’s a very awkward customer – he could surprise a lot of people,” said the 23-year-old.
“He’s been sparring Albert Selimov and, by all accounts, has been handling him with ease. That shows you where he’s at at the minute.”
Barnes and Conlan also believe the men filling their shoes in Baku could do the business.
Light-flyweight Brendan Irvine and bantamweight Kurt Walker both won their first Irish senior titles in January, but are making a major step up in class at the European Games. Irvine only turned 19 last month and Walker is just 20, but Conlan feels that, if the draw is kind, they could both end up on the podium.
“Both are well capable of medals – the whole team is capable of getting medals,” he said.
“It will be harder for Kurt because there’s more at his weight, but for Brendan there’s only going to be 17-18 max at light-fly, so he’s in with a big chance.”
“Kurt’s in a highly-competitive division at 56 kilos, but he’s a brilliant boxer,” added Barnes.
“For Brendan, 49 kilos isn’t that great in Europe this year, there’s a few top boys who didn’t enter, so you could be talking about a medal there as well.”
As for dark horses, Barnes and Conlan have identified a few who could emerge from the pack.
“I expect Michaela [Walsh] to do well,” said Barnes of his Holy Family club-mate.
“I wouldn’t really call Michael O’Reilly a dark horse because he’s one of the most skilful boxers in Ireland, and he can bang too. He could do very well.”
Conlan also backed Walsh, who competes at the non-Olympic weight of 54kg rather than her usual 51kg.
“Even though she won silver at the Commonwealths, this is a different level. I think Michaela’s a natural 54 – she boils herself down to make 51 because it’s an Olympic weight, but she could get a medal. She’s already proved herself on the world stage in the past.”
The draw will be made on Monday morning following the general weigh-in.
MICHAEL CONLANN has gone back to where it all began after returning to his first boxing club, Clonard, for what is expected to be his final year as an amateur.
The London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist had been representing St John Bosco in recent years, but has decided to “go back to where I belong” as the countdown to Rio begins.
“My family’s from that area, so it will be nice to box my last Irish seniors later this year for Clonard,” said Conlan, who intends to turn professional after next summer’s Olympics in Brazil.
“I’m back at my first club, and it’ll be nice to become their first Irish senior champion.”
