MICHAEL CONLAN TOOK his professional record to 5-0 overnight with a dominant victory via the scorecards against Luis Fernando Molina at the Madison Square Garden Theater.
Conlan featured in the chief-support bout to Vasyl Lomachenko’s world super-featherweight triumph over Guillermo Rigondeaux in New York.
Returning to the scene of his paid debut last March, the 26-year-old Irishman recorded a 60-54 shutout on all three judges’ cards over 29-year-old Buenos Aires native Molina.
Delivering an impressive display of boxing skills, former world amateur champion Conlan switched from orthodox to southpaw with ease and looked comfortable throughout his first paid bout to last six rounds.
“I’m happy enough and I was happy to get the rounds,” said Conlan. “I thought I was going to get him out of there, but it wasn’t really unfortunate because I want to move up to eight rounds next time, so it was good to get the six in.
“I thought it was a nice and clean performance, I didn’t really take any shots… it was probably more like my style of fighting, on the back foot and slick boxing. I’m happy enough and looking forward to the next one.
“Sometimes I think I’m a better southpaw than orthodox! But I showed that I can switch it up and I can confuse opponents, so I think I did that tonight.
“I felt comfortable,” continued the Falls Road fighter. “I just needed to make sure I was getting ahead and I didn’t take any punishment or any shots that I shouldn’t be taking.
“It’s all a learning process at the end of the day and I need to keep learning to progress as a professional fighter. That’s six rounds in the bank now and we can move up to eight next and look forward to a big night on St Patrick’s night next year.”
Conlan — a two-time Olympian — revealed after the bout that his left hand was sore following his victory, but insisted that it would not impact on his training plans.
“It was just a bit of bruising around the knuckles,” he said. “It’s no problem. The guy had a tough head! I hurt him a few times, but he survived and fair play to him,” continued the Belfast native, who will return to Madison Square Garden on St Patrick’s weekend in 2018.
“I’ll have three weeks off [over Christmas] maybe because I’ve been in camp all year and it’s been a fast, hard year. Five wins, four KOs – I’d have liked if it was five KOs, but unfortunately not! I’m happy anyway and looking forward to a big 2018.”
Last night’s Lomachenko-Rigondeaux undercard also included a fourth professional win for highly-touted American featherweight Shakur Stevenson.
The 20-year-old, a silver medallist at last summer’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, upgraded his pro ledger to 4-0 courtesy of a second-round TKO of Oscar Mendoza.
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Monaghan native Aaron McKenna got his professional career off to a good start at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
McKenna, the youngest fighter on Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions roster and Ireland’s youngest pro boxer, saw off Travis Conley via unanimous scores of 40-36.
No excuses tonight, just beaten by a much better and quicker side. Fingers crossed they can win the tie in Dublin and do well in the Conference group stages.
@Brian Murphy: was a freeroll anyway group stages already secured.
@John Kelly: I’m sure they’d rather be in the Europa Leage group stages though. Plus, a hiding like that is not good for confidence.
@John Kelly: that kind of attitude is why Irish teams do so poor in Europe
@Paul Doyle: it’s a step up in fairness to play the likes of ferencavros Paul obviously Europa would of been better but guaranteed conference won by Roma last year and some really good teams is not too shabby as a consolation don’t you think
@Brian Murphy: of course they would I’m not disputing that but they can have a good craic off them in tallaght and again in the conference group. Another great achievement for the club.
@John Kelly: That’s literally what I said in the comment you replied to. We’re agreed so!!
@Brian Murphy: I actually didn’t meant to reply to your comment just meant to post mine :) but yea totally agree either way it Was a win win imo
@John Kelly: Ha, that explains that. Anyway, agreed.
@Paul Doyle: Irish teams have historically done poor in Europe because Irish barstool fans would rather go to Liverpool or Manchester than support their local team
@Declan Clancy: It’s slightly more complex than that!
Christ it was a tough watch, rovers at the back were shambolic its a miracle it was only 4 nil realistically shud of been 8 or 9.cant knock rovers for gety9ng this far but a hiding like that just shows how far the league of Ireland is behind pretty much all other European leagues.
@Sean Mccabe: apart from maybe the other leagues that Irish clubs have knocked out the teams from those leagues. Surely that makes us better than them?
@Sean Mccabe: Jesus Christ… are they not in the conference league group stage no? I’m bohs fan defending rovers here, yea they were poor tonight but the objective was already achieved. Look at the teams just in the conference playoff rd and rovers already there. Credit where it’s due sean
@Kevin: I wasn’t gonna mention North Macedonia come on now,im thinking along the lines of Hungary,Turkey,Greece,Bulgaria to see if we could match up against them those leagues are hardly world beaters now r they.irish league is light years behind any half decent league in Europe and that’s just the hard truth we were never gonna be them tonight.
@John Kelly: I was giving them credit I said they did really well to get this far.ya can’t deny thst was painful to watch tonight,irelands best team getting mauled by some minnows themselves it just highlights how far irish football is behind others.theres no shame in that just a tough watch
@Sean Mccabe: what are you on about? West Ham, Fiorintina AZ Alkmaar Villarreal FC Tewnte are all still trying to qualify for a tournament rovers are already in the group stage for….. thunk about it
@John Kelly: come on now look at who rovers have played 99% of people wud never of heard of them. I say again I give them credit for getting this far but they were like U 12′s out there tonight out muscled and outclassed. Tallaght cud be even worse
@Sean Mccabe: I kind of agree with you, but in our defence we were missing a good few key players. When Jacko came on he made a big difference. I think Burkie was sorely missed too.
@Sean Mccabe: minnows? They were in the champions league group stages two years ago. Had a crowd of nearly 20,000 there tonight. Bought a player for nearly 2m recently. Why on earth do you think Irish teams should be able to compete against that? Seriously.
@Sean Mccabe: but your not listening it doesnt really matter much. Yes no Europa league but they have 6 more games in Europe 3 home and 3 away against possibly some big European heavyweights that I’ve already mentioned. That’s 6 more chances to showcase the league of Ireland on the big stage and how much it’s progessing. Again think about it for a minute…. But unfortunately we have people like you always willing to pull it down
@Sean Mccabe: Conference League is what Irish clubs can reasonably hope for. If we has 2/3 teams getting to the league stages it would bring much needed money into our league.
Probably once in decade a team could make the Europa given a favourable.
@John Kelly: take off the blinkers pal call a spade a spade that was shocking out there tonight judge tonight’s game not that they have 6 more to come be real that wasn’t a good advertisement for us tonight now was it
@TL55: I agree pal that is our level rite now and that’s a harsh truth but that’s the best we can hope for, that rovers team is shit hot but my god they were woeful tonight
@Kevin: so ur telling me you knew full well rovers were gonna get spanked bad before a ball was eve kicked tonight
@Philip Fox: Jack Byrne tried his best just struggling big time with injuries but he’s a deadly player when 100 %. Shocking at the back tonight they shud of had 8 if they took there chances
@Sean Mccabe: They played poorly and took a hiding but it doesn’t detract from all the excellent results Irish teams have enjoyed in recent years, including Rovers this year. Even good teams play really poorly some times, no point in writing off the whole LOI because of one result.
@Brian Murphy: not writing them off pal just a harsh reality check on were our league lies in European standards hard to watch but it’s been a good adventure for rovers so far.lets hope they can avoid a drubbing though next week
@John Kelly: I think you are overplaying the objective already achieved card by getting to Conference League group. That’s giving them a free pass for poor performance. Their objective was to get to Europa League group stages and they will be gutted to have failed.
@Sean Mccabe: I think they made woeful errors and learned that you can’t hope to compete with a much better side in Europe with no pace in side. They have a chance to rectify in Conference League group stages and will no doubt get a result or two that will make us rethink that place in European standards. Fingers crossed.
@Brian Murphy: I’m just defending the league more than anything else Brian.
@John Kelly: I’m with you on that one!
@Brian Murphy: yes mate nail on the head
@Brian Murphy: only joining this conversation late I honestly thought Rovers did well and missing 5 serious players it could have been a tighter game
@Sean Mccabe: wouldn’t call them minnows look at the facilities they have beautiful stadium and a squad valued at €40million
@ed: never heard of them. Wikipedia nails it though. – Ferencváros has been the most successful Hungarian club in European football competitions having won the 1964–65 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
I think that says it all really.
@Bernard Connolly: They were torn apart. Had more ball in second half but never threatened and Ferencvaros looked like scoring every time they broke. They were happy to give them ball at times as Rovers were so slow and doing nothing in possession. A hiding.
R.T.E . Euro jinx strikes again.
In fairness Tetteh looked very good when he came on, and only 17
I’m afraid Rhasida Adeleke(not sure of spelling),is the only one in tallaght who can cope with best in Europe,but the rest try their best
Genuine question what is the last big game for rovers against half decent European opposition that they haven’t bottled?
@Sean Newberry: genuine question, who do you support? Didn’t see you comment on any of the articles over the past few weeks when rovers were winning games.
@Kevin: Against the mighty shkupi and hibernians unreal. Time to close the gap tomorrow.
@Sean Newberry: Ditto most LOI teams down the decades. Exceptions I can think of : Athlone v Inter, Limerick v Real Madrid and Dundalk v Liverpool. No victories there but good shows and entirety amateur players not semi-pro like Rovers today. Says a lot !!
Playing high calibre opposition makes loi sides look poor at times….valuation of each ferencvaros player is double what the opposite rovers player is…pity with the result but is it a big surprise?