THE Irish elite championships get under way in Dublin on Tuesday night – but one of the country’s brightest talents misses out after undergoing hand surgery last week.
Dylan Eagleson, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist in 2022, hasn’t boxed since last year’s national elite final defeat to Paris Olympian Jude Gallagher, and went under the knife back in January to try and fix an ongoing problem.
However, having hoped to be back in time to compete this week, the 21-year-old eventually had to admit defeat, and had minor surgery on the same hand last Wednesday as be bids to get back to what he does best.
“My hand’s been bad for a while but I got through it, then it got to a stage where I just physically couldn’t punch with it – it was too sore.
“Even when I was going to training camps, I was always hurting my hand… there was always that wee bit of pain if I caught it in a certain way.
“I got that first surgery in January, and I think I might have taken a reaction to something that was done. It’s far better now than it was, the last time the tendon needed stitched together, whereas this is relatively minor, so fingers crossed.”
Those physical issues have been plenty to contend with, but so too the mental toll taken on a young man for whom boxing has been life since first lacing up gloves at eight years old.
Eagleson has long been seen as one of Ireland’s top talents, even before exploding onto the senior scene two years ago with a European silver medal at his first-ever elite competition, before topping the podium in Birmingham three months later.
As a teenager with the world at his fists, he had major momentum – and then, just like that, it ground to a halt.
“I’m a year out of the ring this month… it’s been the hardest year of my life, I’ll tell you that.
“I don’t work, boxing’s all I know. I was a funded boxer, I still get a bit of funding but nothing compared to what I was on. When you’re not going to tournaments, you can’t get medals and funding.
“I’ve had injuries or time off before, but nothing like this. No lie, I was doing nothing for about three months – I don’t think I trained once after I got the surgery [in January]. I didn’t leave the house, and that’s not me. No matter what, even if I’m injured, I’m still training.
“There’s mad thoughts going on in your head when you’re not boxing. See when you’ve been doing something all your life… it’s very difficult.
“There was times I didn’t want to come back, I was thinking of doing other things. Lucky enough Ulster Boxing’s been very good to me, and they’ve helped me the past few months – getting me back to training mostly, because I didn’t want to go back.
“I was just sick of being constantly told I was going to be back punching, and then I wasn’t. I came back a few times, but it’s not the same when you can’t spar or box.
“Then the few times I did try I was put straight back out.”
Perspective can be hard to find in moments like those, until Eagleson was pointed in the direction of a YouTube clip about MMA star Paul Hughes.
The Derry man suffered four hand breaks earlier in his career but has battled back to the top of the game, recently claiming the biggest win of his career against American AJ McKee in Riyadh.
“That got me thinking: if he can come back and do it, so can I.
“I know what I can do. The day me and Jude boxed last year, I didn’t perform... I won the last round when I boxed, but the other two rounds I tried to show I had too much balls.
“People look at Jude and say how strong he is and, here, he caught me a few times and, f**k me, fair dues to him, he can bang alright! I have too much pride to show anything.
“But I’ve learned a lot about boxing, even in this year off. Because when you’re not fighting, no-one wants to know you.
“I believe there’s no-one like me, when I’m 100 per cent, so if I can bring everything with me, I believe next year will be my year.”
That is what Eagleson – who intends to be in the mix for the 2026 Commonwealths in Glasgow - is working towards now.
Although only able to punch with one hand for the next six-to-eight weeks, Eagleson is targeting January’s Ulster elite championships, and hopefully the Irish U22s, for a long-awaited ring-return.
And he feels anybody operating around the same weight class will be relieved his name is not in the mix at the National Stadium.
“They’re all brilliant lads, but I know they’re all happy to see me out at the minute - that’s boxing for you,” he laughed.
“I know they’re all happy to see me not competing, but they’ll be shocked when I’m back next year. Everyone knows how good I can be. I just need a bit of luck and I’ll be back.”
There are some cracking bouts down for decision on Tuesday night, with the all-Ulster clash between Matthew McCole and Eugene McKeever at light-middleweight sure to be a close-run affair, while JP Hale’s 63.5pm quarter-final clash with Jason Nevin also promises fireworks.
Further boxing is schedule for Wednesday and Thursday, before finals night on Friday.
SCHEDULE
Tuesday (6.30pm)
Preliminaries
67kg: C Cramer (Cabra) v J Long (Golden Gloves M)
67kg: M Davis (Monkstown, Dublin) v A Malanaphy (Erne)
Quarter-finals
60kg: R Owens (Erne) v A Kiely (Saviours Crystal)
60kg: A Hession (Monivea) v J Smith (Holy Family, Drogheda)
60kg: B Alobi (Westside) v A Sinnott (Rathnew)
63.5kg: JP Hale (Star) v J Nevin (Olympic, Mullingar)
63.5kg: A O’Donoghue (Golden Gloves, Cork) v E Fitzgerald (Esker)
71kg: M McCole (Illies GG) v E McKeever (Holy Family, Drogheda)
75kg: T Guiney (St Mary’s) v F Behan (St Michael’s, Athy)
86kg: K Hedderman (St Francis’) v S Cunningham (Elite, Cork)
86kg: R Olusola (Celtic Eagles) v B Kennedy (St Brigid’s, Edenderry)
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RAPHOE TO HOST ANNUAL TOURNAMENT
ALL roads will lead to the Deele sports pavilion on Saturday when Raphoe BC hosts its 36th annual tournament.
Over the years this show has become one of the highlights in the Donegal boxing calendar, and once again club coaches Gary McCullagh and Gerry Keaveney have pulled out all the stops to maintain this tradition as they have pencilled in 14 star-studded bouts that will feature Irish and Ulster champions and many of Raphoe’s usual suspects.
Special guests on the night will be Tyrone’s Olympic duo, the legendary light-middleweight ring warrior from the Los Angeles Games in 1984, Tommy Corr, and Paris Olympian Jude Gallagher.
Raphoe BC chairman Peter O’Donnell would like to thank their major sponsor, local butcher and former standout welterweight puncher Ciaran McCullagh, and all the generous businesspeople of Raphoe and surrounding areas who have helped keep the doors open and the lights on for the past 36 years.
