GIANNI Richmond believes the experience of last year’s Ulster Elite Championships will stand him in good stead when he steps between the ropes at Girdwood Community Hub on Wednesday.
The Cairn Lodge clubman made it to finals night in his first crack at the competition, losing out to Cahir Gormley on a 3-2 split decision after a close, competitive 67kg decider.
“It was a good fight,” he says, “I thought I won, but I could’ve been better on the night.”
Even in defeat, though, it was a valuable experience – bringing Richmond to the attention of watching Irish coaches, and leading to an invitation to join the Ulster High Performance elite team.
During that time he has been part of teams travelling to Scotland, and twice to Portugal, gaining valuable rounds against different types of opponents in unfamiliar environments. Twelve months on, he is back once more – with Peter Weatherall of St Paul’s first up in Wednesday’s quarter-final.
“I think I’ve come on a lot since last year.
“I don’t really get nerves from the crowd, or from the fight – I get nerves about winning. As long as I put in a really good performance, then I’m happy. My plan is to win; who I’m fighting does not bother me, the crowd does not bother me, I just need to win. It’s pressure I put on myself more than anything else.
“Going into the high performance has been a big help… it’s a step up, but as long as you work hard and do your training, I don’t think there’s too much of a difference.
“You get the people that actually want to be there, that’s the difference - coming up, some people do it for the sake of doing it, where when you’re at the elite level everybody wants to win.
“High performance has been a game-changer for me because you get to train full-time. I’m up there every day of the week with the elite squad, you get the best coaching around, nutritionists, everything’s there for you.
“Coming up to fights, my coaches are there for me every single day, but when I don’t have anything coming up, they have jobs and lives to lead – with the high performance I’m still getting training specific to me every day, so there’s no break.
“It’s just constantly working, constantly getting better.”
Although too young to have seen him fight, the 20-year-old is a long-time admirer of Wayne McCullough, but it is another Belfast boxer who has had the biggest influence on his boxing career to date.
TJ Waite - who met two-time Olympian Brendan Irvine in two Irish finals before a wrist injury put paid to his punching days - helps out at Cairn Lodge when he can, alongside former pro fighter dad Tommy sr.
The fact TJ is engaged to Richmond’s sister helps, but the 30-year-old will play a big part in plotting his approach at the upcoming Ulsters.
“TJ’s a big inspiration to me, and would be heavily involved when I have fights coming up.
“I’ve been going to the club properly since I was around 12, and seeing him train was something else… he’s just unbelievable. It showed me the skills of boxing, rather than only throwing punches.
“Even now he’s so skilful, so he’s a big inspiration and makes me want to succeed.”
The 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow remains a major ambition, so too the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
For now, though, Richmond has to run before he can walk and, with Jojo McArdle, Conor McCrory, Darragh Smyth and Erne’s experienced Anthony Malanaphy all harbouring ambitions to be last man standing, twists and turns are expected in the days ahead.
“There’s a lot of good guys there – I’m not looking past anyone, everyone there wants it.
“No-one goes in to lose, but I go in to win. Some people will be happy enough to enter and see how they go, I’m going there to win.
“I believe I have the tools to do so.”
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FEMALE BOXERS RETURN TO HEADGUARDS
FEMALE fighters competing in Friday night’s Ulster elite finals will wear headguards – just months after the International Boxing Association (IBA) sanctioned their removal.
That rule was implemented days before October’s European U22 Championships in Bulgaria, with IBA-affiliated nations, including Ireland, forced to follow suit when the national elite championships came around weeks later.
Indeed, in an unfortunate quirk of fate, Derry’s Carleigh Irving sustained a nasty cut following a clash of heads on her way to claiming silver in Sofia. That injury ended up keeping her out of the Irish elites.
However, following a meeting of the IBA rules and competition committee at the weekend, headguards are now mandatory once more.
Oakleaf light-fly Irving was due to return to the ring at Girdwood Community Hub until no other boxers entered at 48kg. As a result, there are just three female finals scheduled for Friday – Catrina Moore (Emerald) v Ciara Craig (Glengormley) at 60kg, Holy Trinity’s Kaci Rock and Ella McDonald (Corpus Christi) at 63kg, and Caprice Coiley (Clonard) v Jansen Hill (Holy Trinity) at 66kg.
ULSTER ELITE CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAMME
Ulster Elite Championship programme
Wednesday (7.30pm)
Special contests
Boy 5 70kg: J Brown (Ledley Hall) v J Cunningham (St Joseph’s)
Youth 54kg: J McCann (St Monica’s) v JJ Boyle (Clonard)
Youth 60kg: D Reynolds (Clonard) v S Douglas (Ormeau Road)
Youth 63.5kg: L McAuley (Ormeau Road) v D Tennyson (Derryveagh)
Youth 71kg: C Doherty (Glengormley) v O Dunlop (Kronk)
Quarter-finals
60kg: J O’Donnell (St George’s) v J Douglas (Holy Family)
67kg: J McArdle (Holy Trinity) v C McCrory (Townland)
67kg: P Weatherall (St Paul’s) v G Richmond (Cairn Lodge)
75kg: P Rooney (SHBA) v N Grew (St Paul’s)
75kg: J McGuinness (St Monica’s) v K Smyth (Holy Trinity)
Thursday (7.30pm)
Semi-finals
51kg: S Thompson (Spartans) v B Dobbins (St Joseph’s)
60kg: R Owens (Erne) v E Banas (Cookstown)
60kg: D Eagleson (St Paul’s) v J O’Donnell (St George’s)/J Douglas (Holy Family)
67kg: A Malanaphy (Erne) v D Smyth (Clonard)
67kg: J McArdle (Holy Trinity)/C McCrory (Townland) v P Weatherall (St Paul’s) v G Richmond (Cairn Lodge)
71kg: M McCole (Illies GG) w/o
71kg: J McConnell (Holy Trinity) v C Gormley (Illies GG)
75kg: E Quinn (St John’s) v D Ramsey (Emerald)
75kg: P Rooney (SHBA)/N Grew (St Paul’s) v J McGuinness (St Monica’s)/K Smyth (Holy Trinity)
80kg: J Walker (Corpus Christi) v C McKernon (Castleblayney)
80kg: R Murphy (St Monica’s) v P Clarke (Errigal)
92kg: G McAllister (Holy Family) v C McCullough (Monkstown)
Friday
Finals (7.30pm)
