Victorious Egan shows he is a match for the heavyweights

There were also victories for Katie Taylor and Roy Sheehan at the Unseeded Open Elite Competition at the National Stadium over the weekend.

HAVING ANNOUNCED THAT he would be making the transition from light-heavyweight to heavyweight last week, Ken Egan allayed any doubts that he would be unable to compete at this level by winning at the Unseeded Open Elite Competition on Saturday.

Egan felt that his 13-5 victory in the heavyweight final over Stephen Ward, a silver medallist at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, would be enough to secure his place at the AIBA World Championships and Olympic qualifiers in Azerbaijan.

The boxer told reporters that despite carrying a hand injury, he was raring to go:

“If they sent just me to Azerbaijan I’ll be happy. I think I am after earning my place on the plane by now.”

Meanwhile, former European Union Championships gold medallist, Roy Sheehan, secured a 14-10 win over Michael O’Reilly in the welterweight final.

Commenting on the victory, he said:

“I’m glad I came out on top. I trained very hard for this. I was out for the last three years with a broken hand and this is my first time fully fit and hopefully it will get better from here on,” said Sheehan. “If they pick me for the World Championships I will be in good shape.”

There was also a win for Katie Taylor, as she comprehensively defeated Holland’s Vandellen Willeke, however her compatriot Sinead Kavanagh lost out to another Dutch boxer: Fontyn Nouchka.