Olympians Adam Nolan and John Joe Joyce will clash for the vacant welterweight title at Dublin’s National Stadium tonight.
Bray BC man Nolan and Joyce, of St Michael’s Athy BC, are slated to contest one of ten finals at the National Elite Championships at the home of Irish boxing.
Ray Moylette, the 2011 European Elite gold medallist, challenges defending champion Dean Walsh in the light-welterweight class, while defending middleweight champion Michael O’Reilly meets Stephen Broadhurst.
London 2012 Olympian Darren O’Neill, who has claimed four titles at middleweight, has moved up to heavyweight and faces Athlone BC's stand-out Ken Okungbowa in his ninth Elite final.
St Francis BC in Limerick have two boxers through to the business end of the tournament looking to bridge a gap of almost a decade since Jimmy Moore and Andy Lee, the current WBO World middleweight champion, took home Elite titles in 2005 and 2006.
The Shannonsiders will be represented by Myles Casey and Matthew Tinker, who meet Evan Metcalfe and ex-champion Roy Sheehan, respectively, in the flyweight and light-heavyweight deciders.
The lightweight and light-heavy belts are vacant this years as holders David Oliver Joyce and Joe Ward have signed for AIBA Pro Boxing (APB).
Meanwhile, the women’s Elite finals will be decided on Saturday night.
AIBA World number eight Claire Grace defends her welterweight belt against Irish Youth Olympic and World Youth silver medallist Christina Desmond. Boxing begins at 7.30pm tonight.
Elite Male Finals, 23 January (from 1930):
49kg B Irvine (St Pauls) v H Myers (St Brigids)
56kg K Walker (Canal) v S Higginson (St John Bosco)
69kg JJ Joyce (St Michael’s Athy) v A Nolan (Bray)
75kg M O’Reilly (Portlaoise) v S Broadhurst (Dealgan)
91kg D O’Neill (Paulstown) v K Okungbowa (Athlone)
64kg D Walsh (St Joesphs/St Ibars) v R Moylette (St Annes)
52kg M Casey (St Francis) v E Metcalfe (Crumlin)
60kg S McComb (Holy Trinity) v G Bates (St Marys)
81kg R Sheahan (St Michael’s Athy) v M Tinker (St Francis)
91kg D Gardiner (Clonmel) v C Popovicu (Johnstown)
2015 Elite Female Finals, 24 January (1900):
48kg L Hogan (St Brigids) v M Clarke (Ballinacarrow)
51kg C Smith (Cavan) v K O’Hara (Emerald)
54kg M Walsh (Holy Family) W/O
57kg J Lambe (Carrickmacross) v D Duffy (St Brigids)
60kg D O’Reilly (Olympic) v L Donohue (Geesala)
64kg K Murrihy (Kilfenora) v K Harrington (St Margarets)
69kg Christina Desmond (Macroom) v Claire Grace (Callan)
75kg Laoise Traynor (Bray) W/O
81+kg F Nelson (Belfast) v D Campbell (Garda)
