FORMER UNDERAGE HIGH-ACHIEVER John Joyce will ditch the vest and enter boxing’s punch-for-pay ranks after an amateur career which saw him win a multitude of international titles in his teens.
The St. Michael’s Athy middleweight, now 21, is to turn professional in Scotland with trainer Billy Nelson, Joe O’Neill of Irish-boxing.com reports.
One of the most successful Irish boxers of all time at underage level, Joyce amassed an incredible body of work between the years 2010 and 2015, winning European Schoolboys bronze and gold, European Junior gold, and European Youth bronze and silver.
He is also a nine-time Irish champion at underage level but has lost out to eventual winners Michael O’Reilly and Emmett Brennan in his two bashes at the Irish Senior Elites.
Joyce will base his career from Nelson’s Engage Box gym in Airdrie, some 10 miles east of Glasgow.
Delighted to add @johnjoyce97 to my pool of boxers at EngageBoxing Gym,
— Billy Nelson (@BillyNelsonBox) January 22, 2019
John won Two Gold Medals at the European Championships, fourth in the World Championships and Nine times National Champion.
Very much looking forward to the journey 🥊👍🔥
The prodigiously talented Moate man’s debut is expected to be confirmed in the coming days.
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Living legend
All the anti-RTE brigade calling for it to be shut down watching in their droves.