National Stadium ready for 22 semi-finals

Twenty-two semi-finals will be decided in the 2012 National Elite Championships at Dublin's National Stadium this Friday and Saturday.

Current European and Irish elite light-heavyweight champion Joe Ward opens his Irish defence in a last-four meeting with Davey Joe Joyce on Friday.

The winner of the three-rounder - a repeat of the 2011 semi-final, which Ward won 8-2 - will progress to face either Eamon Walsh or Ken Egan - who clash on Saturday - in the light-heavyweight final.

Ward is one of two Moate BC (Co Westmeath) boxers between the ropes on Friday evening; Ken Okungbowa meets Con Sheehan, who is aiming for his fifth successive title at two-different weights.

Irish head coach Billy Walsh, meanwhile, believes that Friday's welterweight showdown between defending champion Adam Nolan and Willie McLaughlin could go all the way down to the wire.

He said: "Adam has grown in stature since the Senior Championships last year and Willie has made the top eight at the World Championships and the top eight at the European Championships. It looks very, very tight."

London 2012 Olympians Michael Conlan and John Joe Nevin are in action for the first time at the 2012 Championships on Friday versus Shane Roche and Sean McComb.

Kilkenny southpaw Darren O'Neill, who like Conlan and Nevin has qualified for the 30th Olympiad, faces 2010 Olympic Test Event silver medallist Conrad Cummings in the 75kg semi-final, in a rematch of the 2011 semi-final which O'Neill won en route to claiming his third middleweight title.

Hugh Myres and Evan Metcalfe go head-to-head in Friday's curtain raiser. The winner will trade leather with 2010 European champion and 2008 Olympic bronze medallist Paddy Barnes, who has received a bye, in the light-flyweight final on Friday week.

The St Michael's Athy BC, meanwhile, will experience mixed emotions on Saturday night despite being assured two boxers in the 60kg and 69kg finals.

Eric Donovan meets team-mate David Oliver Joyce in the lightweight semi-final, and Beijing Olympian John Joe Joyce is in against Roy Sheahan in a second all St Michael's Athy last-four duel at welterweight.

"They (St Michael's Athy) are guaranteed two boxers in the finals, but unfortunately two of them are going to lose as well. It's a long, long winding road to qualification,” added Billy Walsh, a seven-time elite champion."

Boxing begins at 7pm on Friday and Saturday.

The 2012 Elite Championships finals will be decided on Friday 3 February at the National Stadium.