Defending welterweight and lightweight champions Dean Walsh and Pat Mongan bowed out of the National Elite Championships on split decisions at the semi-final stage at Dublin’s National Stadium on Friday night.
Wexford native Walsh, who was aiming for five in a row, was edged on a 3-2 split by Galway’s former World Junior medalist Kieran Molloy, who said during the week that he felt "now was his time".
Mongan dropped a 4-1 split to Dubliner George Bates in a repeat of the 2017 lightweight final, which Mongan won on a 3-2 split.
"It was a close fight and a very good fight and the better man won on the night. We’re now looking to November," said Mongan’s Olympic BC coach Michael Mongan.
Cork’s Thomas McCarthy, who was beaten by Rio Olympian Brendan Irvine in the 2017 decider, booked his ticket into the bantamweight final after edging Laois’ Christian Cesiko on a 3-2 split.
He’ll meet Dubliner Evan Metcalfe, who beat Limerick’s Myles Casey in a repeat of the 2015 final which Casey won.
Defending featherweight champion Dervla Duffy stopped Ashley McCullough, a niece of Olympic silver medallist and former WBC champion Wayne McCullough, in the second round this evening.
Michael Nevin, an ex European Schoolboy, Junior and Youth champion, won on his Elite debut in the last-eight of the tournament and meets Ger French on Saturday night for a place in the middleweight final.
"I thought I performed good, I thought I did what I needed to do. It’s always a battle at the Stadium but I was well prepared by my coaches," said Nevin.
The remaining National Elite semi-finals will be completed tonight to decide the line-ups for the February 24 finals.
A second National Elite Championships will be run for women and men in September and November in the build up to the qualifiers for Tokyo 2020.
Meanwhile, European light-heavyweight champion Joe Ward helped the British Lionhearts to a 5-0 group win over the Croatian Knights in the World Series of Boxing in Newcastle.
The two-time World finalist beat Damir Plantic on a unanimous decision after a dominant performance on Tyne and Weir.
2018 National Elite Men’s and Women’s Championships National Stadium Dublin results
Q/Finals
69kg Ciara Sheedy (Ardnaree) beat Connie Vaughan (Duhallow) 4-1
75kg Kelyn Cassidy (Saviours Crystal) beat Peter Carr (Crumlin) 5-0
75kg Brett McGinty (Oakleaf) beat Glory Carlos Imuala (Maynooth) 5-0
75kg Gerard French (Clonard Antrim) beat John Maughan (St Marys Dublin) KO2
75kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise) beat David Biscevas (St Saviours OBA) 5-0
81kg Brian Kennedy (St Marys Daingean) beat Robert Burke (Glasnevin) 4-1
81kg Anthony Browne (St Michaels Dub) beat Davit Tsotsoria (Illies GG) 5-0
91kg Kevin Sheehy (St Francis) W/O
S/Finals
57kg Dervla Duffy (Mulhuddart) beat Ashley McCullough (Albert Foundry) RSC2
56kg Evan Metcalfe (Hyland Academy) beat Myles Casey (St Francis) 4-1
56kg Thomas McCarthy (Setanta) beat Christian Cekiso (Portlaoise) 3-2
60kg George Bates (St Marys Dublin) beat Patrick Mongan (Olympic) 4-1
60kg Francis Cleary (Ballina) beat Adam Kelly (Portlaoise) 5-0
64kg Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise) beat Keith Flavin (Paulstown) 5-0
64kg Caoimhin Ferguson (Clonard A) beat Colm Quinn (Castlebar) 5-0
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard) beat Dean Walsh (St Ibars) 3-2
69kg Eugene McKeever (Holy Family D) beat Tony McGlynn (Crumlin) 5-0
91+kg Dean Gardiner (Clonmel) beat Patrick Nevin (St Michaels Dub) 5-0
