OLYMPIC medallist Aidan Walsh made a successful return to the ring in Romania yesterday - but he was made to work hard in his first fight since last summer’s exploits in Tokyo.
The west Belfast man, who turned 25 last week, hadn’t boxed competitively since securing bronze in his Olympic quarter-final victory over Merven Clair of Mauritius on July 30, 2021.
Unfortunately welterweight Walsh broke his right ankle and suffered ligament damage in his left ankle after jumping for joy after securing a place on the podium at his first Olympics, ruling him out of a semi-final showdown with Great Britain’s Pat McCormack.
While sidelined, the Emerald counter-puncher also had an operation on his hand after tearing a metacarpal in the June qualifier for Tokyo.
After working his way back to fitness, however, Walsh was back between the ropes yesterday – defeating tough Uzbek Kromronbek Turgunboev in a gruelling quarter-final clash at the Golden Belt-Nicolae Linca Tournament in Targu Mures.
But he had to take a standing count in the final round as Turgunboev piled on the pressure and hurt his tiring Irish opponent with a left hook inside the first minute. Walsh, though, used all his experience to keep the Uzbek at bay before finishing the round strongly.
Despite that standing count, Walsh got the nod from the judges on a split because of his better work in the opening two rounds, when there no evidence of any lingering ankle injuries.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medallist was as light on his feet as ever, and landed a big left hand early in the first before switching southpaw and bamboozling Turgunboev at times.
But - perhaps because of the long lay-off, perhaps because it was Walsh’s first fight up at 71kg having previously campaigned a couple of kilos below - his solid, stocky opponent closed the distance in the second and tried to rough the Belfast man up.
Walsh still proved elusive but the warning signs were there before that tricky third. He continues his comeback against Magomed Schadidov in today’s semi-final, and the German will have former Irish coach Eddie Bolger in his corner.
It wasn’t to be for Mullaghbawn’s Eugene McKeever in his 67kg quarter-final, however, as he lost out on a unanimous decision to tricky Georgian Gurili Lasha.
Offaly’s Gráinne Walsh, a 2019 European Games bronze medallist, ended her own exile from the ring when she defeated Hungary’s Vivien Bodai in the first bout of the day, in the afternoon session.
Galway’s Adam Hession showed his growing confidence on the international stage when he proved too strong for home favourite Laurentiu Mihai Vaduva in the 57kg quarter-final, while light-heavy Kelyn Cassidy finished the day with a flourish when he also beat a Romanian, Catalin Florin Serban, by unanimous decision to move into the medal stages.
Of the Irish boxers yet to open their campaigns in Romania, light-fly Shannon Sweeney meets Spain’s Marta Arbol Lopez in her semi-final today while, at 70kg, Cork’s Christina Desmond meets Ukraine’s Mariia Siedaia in the last eight.
There are two Irish boxers entered at 63.5kg, with Dean Clancy drawn against Belgium’s Mohamed Boukala and Brandon McCarthy opening his account against Uzbekistan’s Kenaey Shobrunkbek.
Light-fly Ricky Nesbitt faces Ukrainian opposition in the semi-finals of the competition, while Galway middleweight Gabriel Dossen was also given a bye into the medal stages.
Dundalk lightweight Amy Broadhurst has a straight final against home boxer, Pita Daniela.
