DYLAN Eagleson isn’t the only one making a long-awaited comeback on Thursday night – and Blaine Dobbins hopes to show he still has plenty in the tank ahead of another crack at the Ulster Elite Championships.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Eagleson returns to the ring at Belfast’s Girdwood Community Hub, bringing an end to 15 months of frustration after going under the knife to fix a hand problem.
All eyes will be on the 21-year-old from Bangor but, before that, in the first fight of the night, Derry flyweight Dobbins takes on talented teenager Scott Thompson to decide who will face Clepson dos Santos in Friday’s 51kg final.
Now 33, Dobbins is among the most experienced campaigners operating at this year’s Ulster elites, and has dipped in and out of the sport in recent times.
Two years ago he returned from a five-year exodus to stun Dos Santos on a dramatic finals night at Derry’s Guildhall. In the emotional aftermath, Dobbins insisted he “won’t be disappearing again”.
“I wish I hadn’t said that,” he laughs, “we’ve been here before, haven’t we? More comebacks than Lazarus…”
Yet, if he is able to get back to anywhere near the level displayed that night, Dobbins will pose a major problem for anybody in Belfast this week.
“I was on top of my game that night, flying, and after that I didn’t go for the Irish elites or anything… life got in the way again, I just couldn’t get myself motivated for anything else.
“That was a big thing to fight in Derry, at the Guildhall, I got to that level and I was happy enough. That night was brilliant, the support and everything… I should’ve carried on, went to Dublin and seen what happened, but I didn’t.”
Dobbins came back for November’s Irish elites, losing out to the experienced Ricky Nesbitt in the semi-final – with the Holy Family, Drogheda man then beaten by Dos Santos in the decider.
Despite that defeat, however, Dobbins left the ring feeling that there was plenty more still to come.
“To be honest I thought I won, I did enough to get the decision, it just didn’t go my way.
But I felt brilliant - that’s why I know I still have a lot to offer.
“I always believe in myself, and there always comes a time where you miss it, miss the buzz of the big nights.”
And, just as a teenage Dos Santos – fresh from competing at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham the previous summer – was fancied against Dobbins two years ago, he hopes to make his experience count against another new kid on the block.
“I’m boxing a long time, I have that bit more maturity and I’m hoping that can stand by me on Thursday night. Clepson would’ve been big time favourite against me that time in Derry but I just kept on top of him, didn’t give him a chance.
“The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow could even be an option, they’re only next year, because this is definitely going to be my last hurrah,” he says, before laughing once more, “though you don’t know either…”
SCHEDULE
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)
