Olympic bronze medallist Aidan Walsh fell to a shock defeat to Dean Walsh at the National Elite Championships on Friday night.
Wexford native Dean Walsh stunned the crowd at the National Stadium in Dublin as he edged past his opponent 3-2 in their light middleweight (71kg) semi-final.
The victorious Walsh will next face Belfast fighter Jon McConnell, who also earned a 3-2 split decision win in his match-up with Donegal's Matthew McCole.
An even contest went the way of McConnell and he'll face off against Walsh in the final at the same venue on Saturday.
Exciting talent Paul Loonam (St Carthages) had an eye-catching 4-1 win over Adam Hession (Monivea) in their 57kg semi-final.
Galway man Hession is a two-time elite champion, but after a fast-paced, it was tournament debutant Loonam who progressed to the final.
He'll face Saviours Cyrstal’s Sean Purcell in the final after he defeated Jordan Smith with a second-round stoppage, a cut bringing an end to proceedings.
Kelyn Cassidy, a surprise final winner over Tommy Hyde in the 2021 final, showed real class in racking up a 5-0 win over Brian Kennedy in the 80kg semi. He'’ll meet Jason Clancy in the final who received a semi-final walk-over.
