JAMIE CONLAN TOOK another step closer to a world title fight with a split decision win at the Waterfront in Belfast tonight.
Conlan, who is the older brother of Irish boxing star Michael, was handed top billing to face Yader Cardoza of Nicaragua (22-10-1, 6 KOs) for the vacant WBC Silver International super-featherweight belt.
And the 30-year-old prevailed to keep his unbeaten record intact (now 19-0), but he did it the hard way.
Conlan has a reputation for getting dragged into wars and this was no exception, as the two fighters were left bloodied and bruised after slugging it out for 12 rounds.
Despite starting strongly, he was knocked down in the eighth but recovered to edge out Cardoza — the judges scoring it 112-115, 114-113, 115-113.
“He caught me high on the head so I had to ride the storm,” Conlan told Box Nation.
“This is breakfast, lunch and dinner here. I could do this all week… I don’t want to do it all week though! The crowd were brilliant and the rallied behind me when I needed them.”
Having trained with his younger sibling and Paddy Barnes in Los Angeles for the fight, he will now travel to watch Michael’s professional debut at Madison Square Garden on St Patrick’s Day, and joked:
It’s f***ing snowing in New York and I’m going to be walking around wearing sunglasses like a d***head!”
Barnes, Phil Sutcliffe Jnr, James Tennyson, Tyrone McKenna, Steven Ward, Con Sheehan and Marco McCullough also had wins tonight.
Watch Conlan’s fight in full below:
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Would be cool to see an Irish team at these games, maybe once the opportunity for exposure and competition for our athletes outweighs the negative associations of our past.
@Sam Murray: you understand what the commonwealth means dont ya…….so u want a republic of ireland to be represented at the british commonwealth games.. im a bit confused u might explain more please.
@Seanie Bourke: Well I suppose the REPUBLIC of South Africa is there. Yeah I’ve a fair idea, it’s former dominions and colonies that have been invented to be part of a union of nations and as a result part of the commonwealth games. They relinquished control of most of those countries at least 50 or so years ago but they still take part. Some opt out such as Ireland & Zimbabwe etc… but you have more that take part where the Brits have no control at all – India, Pakistan, Singapore. Obviously would never happen because of our past with them but would be cool nonetheless
@Sam Murray: a united Ireland will be part of the commonwealth, and take part in the games.
GAWA