THE BIG BANG, Pierce O’Leary will make a fourth defence of his WBC International super lightweight title against Darragh Foley when Queensberry make a return to Belfast at the SSE Arena on Friday June 28, live on TNT Sports.

In the co-main event of ‘Belfast Brawl’, recent Frank Warren signing Conor Quinn will fight for the vacant Commonwealth flyweight championship when he takes on the English champion Conner Kelsall on his Queensberry debut.

Tickets for Belfast Brawl at SSE Arena, Belfast on Friday, 28 June go on SSE Presale tomorrow (Wednesday, 29 May) at 10am, and on General sale on Thursday, 30 May available from: ticketmaster.ie

O’Leary (14-0, 9 KOs) last fought in Birmingham back in March when he overcame the unbeaten Hovhannes Martirosyan in an impressive fashion, stopping the Belgian in round nine.

Foley (22-5-1, 10), the Irish southpaw based in Sydney, Australia, is a former regional IBF and IBO champion and was most recently in action in Manchester, where he was defeated on points by Jack Catterall. In his previous fight he overcame Robbie Davies Jr via a third-round stoppage in Liverpool, with the home fighter also sustaining an ankle injury that prevented him from continuing.

Quinn (9-0-1, 6 KOs), the Celtic champion, teamed up with the Hall of Fame promoter following a strong recommendation from fellow Belfast boy Carl Frampton and ‘The Magnificent’ launches his TNT Sports journey with a fight in his home city against an also unbeaten contender in Kelsall (11-0, 1) from Doncaster.

Belfast favourite James McGivern (8-0, 2) will make a first defence of his BUI Celtic championship when he goes up against Cardiff’s Rahid Omar (6-0, 1) in a battle of the unbeaten lightweights over eight rounds.

McGivern, 26, seized the title in November of last year with victory over the previously undefeated Josh Sandford in Letterkenny.

The vacant Commonwealth Silver featherweight title will be on the line for Belfast ‘Posh Boy’ Colm Murphy (11-0, 3), who goes up against the Scot Jack Turner (6-1).

Five further recent Frank Warren signings will feature on the night. Ferocious Liverpool bantamweight Jack Turner (6-0, 6) – who is yet to experience the second round of a fight in the pros – along with Jadier Herrera (14-0, 12), a Cuban southpaw, who both train out of the Rotunda Gym in Liverpool. Plus Steven Cairns (7-0, 4) from Cork, as well as with Bedfordshire welterweight Nicola Barke (4-0) and the decorated amateur star from Ballyhaunis Eoghan Lavin (1-0), who made his professional debut at York Hall in April.
The professional debut of Manchester super welterweight Walter Fury completes the card.

“I am very much looking forward to returning to Belfast where, most recently, we staged hugely successful shows headlined by Carl Frampton,” said promoter Frank Warren

“I am very happy to be going back and showcasing the talents of Queensberry’s Irish contingent, headed up by Conor Quinn and Pierce O’Leary, with both in big fights and Conor in what should be a classic collision with the English champion, the highly-rated Conner Kelsall.

“There will be lots of local talent on the card – including a number of our new signings – and I am particularly looking forward to seeing Steven Cairns in action for the first time under the Queensberry banner, plus Jack Turner, who comes with an already formidable reputation.”

Tickets for Belfast Brawl at SSE Arena, Belfast on Friday, 28 June go on SSE Presale tomorrow (Wednesday, 29 May) at 10am, and on General sale on Thursday, 30 May available from: ticketmaster.ie

THE QUEENSBERRY TRIO of Anthony Cacace, Nick Ball and Pierce O’Leary are all in title action on Saturday May 27 at the SSE Arena in Belfast, live on BT Sport.

Promoted by Conlan Boxing, in association with Top Rank and Queensberry Promotions, the event will see Belfast boy Michael Conlan challenge for the IBF world featherweight championship against the title holder Luis Alberto Lopez, who last fought on British soil when he defeated former champion Josh Warrington in Leeds last year.

The IBO world featherweight champion Cacace, also hailing from Belfast, makes a first defence of the title he won by overcoming Michael Magnesi at the Manchester Arena last September. The 20-1 (7 KOs) man known as the Apache takes on the Pole, IBO International champion Damian Wrzesinski, who holds a record of 26-2-2 (7 KOs).

Wrzesinski, 35, a multi-time national title holder, won his IBO championship with a win over Artjoms Ramlavs in October 2022.

Liverpool favourite Ball, 17-0 (10 KOs) takes on an unbeaten challenger for his WBC Silver featherweight title in the South African Ludumo Lamati, 21-0-1 (11 KOs).

Ball, 26, enjoyed a highly productive 2022 that encompassed a win-treble of victories over Isaac Lowe, Nathanael Kakololo and Jesus Ramirez Rubio. All three were stopped by the hugely popular ‘Wrecking’ Ball, who is increasingly becoming a must-see attraction on Queensberry shows.

Lamati, 30, became IBO world super bantamweight champion in June 2021 with victory over Jose Martin Estrada Garcia, having won the IBF Intercontinental title in July 2019.

The WBC International super lightweight champion O’Leary, 11-0 (6 KOs), defends his belt against the Romanian Alin Florin Ciorceri, 17-3 (7 KOs). The Dubliner, 23, won the title with a convincing points win over Emmanuel Mungandjela at The O2 in November of last year.

Also featuring on the card is top Queensberry prospects Willo Hayden (5-0, 1 KO), the Dublin lightweight, along with Liverpool super lightweight Callum Thompson (6-0, 1 KO). Hayden will fight over six rounds and Thompson over four.

“We took this opportunity through our friends and colleagues at Top Rank to secure a top quality world title fight for BT Sport viewers involving local hero Michael Conlan,” said Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren.

“The added incentive was getting five BT Sport favourites from the Queensberry ranks onto the card and three of them being Irish fighters in Anto Cacace, Pierce O’Leary and Willo Hayden, who will all relish the occasion of performing in front of a packed house in Belfast.

“Then there is our demolition man, Nick Ball, who wants to impress and throw down the gauntlet to the winner out of Conlan and Lopez. The Liverpool contingent is doubled by our hugely promising super lightweight Callum Thompson, who I am also looking forward to seeing back in action.”

Belfast’s unbeaten super middleweight star Pody McCrory (16-0, 9 KOs) features in 10-round action, alongside top prospects from the city in super flyweight Conor Quinn (5-0-1, 4 KOs) and featherweight Kurt Walker (5-0, 1 KO), both fighting over eight rounds.

Lightweight Feargus Quinn (5-0, 2 KOs) from Belleek and welterweight Kieran Molloy (5-0, 1 KO) from Galway will fight over six rounds, with welterweight James Freeman from Armagh making his professional debut over four rounds.

Tickets are available now via www.Ticketmaster.ie.

John Ryder captured the WBO Interim Super Middleweight Title via stoppage after round four when previously undefeated Zach Parker could not continue due to an injured right hand at The 02 Arena in London.

It was a close fight until Parker bowed out of the fight.

Ryder will not head the short list for a possible May fight with Canelo Alvarez and is now 32-3 with 18 knockouts. Parker is 22-1.

Hamzah Sheeraz stopped River Wilson-Bent in round two of their 12-round middleweight bout.

Sheeraz was dominant from the opening bell ny rocking him several times. At the end of round two, the pressure finally undid Wilson-Bent and a right hand put him down and the fight was stopped at 2:55.

Sheeraz, 159 lbs of London is 16-0 with 13 knockouts. Wilson-Bent, 159.7 lbs is 13-2-1.

“Zach started well, got behind the job well and was peppering me a bit there,” reacted Ryder afterwards. “I felt like the tide might be starting to turn and I was getting more on top, but these things happen in boxing. It is a bad injury for him and it feels like half a robbery victory for me.”

“Obviously I am absolutely gutted,” added Parker. “It was at the start of the round, I hit him with an uppercut and you can see from my hand that it is out now. He is obviously a good lad who will go on and do good things in boxing and I will come back stronger.

“I was warming into the fight and it was becoming a good fight. When the injury happened at the start of that last round I kept having to move because every time I jabbed him it was hurting and clicking.”

Noakes Stops McCord in 4

Sam Noakes stopped Calvin McCord in round four of a 12-round lightweight fight.

In round Noakes dropped McCord with a right to the body. Noakes dropped McCord again with a hard right hand. Noakes finished things when he sent McCord to a knee with another hard right to the body at 2:14.

Noakes, 1234.5 lbs of Kent, ENG is 10-o with 10 knockouts. McCord, 135 lbs of Scotland is 12-1.

McCann Stops Ham in 8

Dennis McCann stopped a gritty Joe Ham in round eight of their 12-round super bantamweight bout.

In round five, Ham began to bleed from his nose.

In round eight, McCann unleashed a series of flurries and the bout was stopped at 2:28.

McCann, 121.4 lbs of Kent, ENG is 14-0 with eight knockouts. Ham, 121.5 lbs of Glasgow, SCO is 17-4.

O’Leary Decisions Mungandjela

Pierce O’Leary won a 10-round unanimous decision over Emmanuel Mungandjela in a super lightweight bout.

In round one, O’Leary dropped Mungandjela with a perfect counter uppercut. At the end of round five, dropped Mungandjela with a right uppercut followed by a vicious left hook.

O’Leary, 139.5 lbs of Dublin, IRE won by scores of 99-90, 99-89 and 96-92 and is now 12-0. Mungandjela, 139.9 lbs of Namibia is 16-4-1.

Tommy Fletcher took out Jiri Krejci in the opening round of their four-round cruiserweight bout.

In the opening round, Fletcher landed a nasty left uppercut to the chin that put Krejci down and completely put at 2:!9. Krejci needed medical attention, but was able to leave the ring on his own power.

Fletcher, 201 lbs of Norfolk, ENG is 3-0 with three knockouts. Krejci, 197.8 lbs of CZE is 1-3-2.

THE BIG BANG, Pierce O’Leary fights for the first of what he firmly believes will be many title belts when he goes for the coveted WBC International super lightweight title at The 02 on 26 November, live on BT Sport.

O’Leary takes on Emmanuel Mungandjela – known as the Lion – for the vacant title on a blockbuster card headlined by Zach Parker against John Ryder trading for the WBO Interim world super middleweight championship. O’Leary’s iBox Gym teammates Dennis McCann and Sam Noakes also feature, both challenging for Commonwealth titles. WBC Silver middleweight champion Hamzah Sheeraz is in action against River Wilson-Bent with the Commonwealth crown also at stake.

“I’m straight in for a big title,” said the 22-year-old Dubliner. “In my first fight for Frank Warren I was going to fight for the WBC Youth title but it was hard to get an opponent under 23 so I said to skip it and then go for the big one – and it’s only going to get bigger and bigger!”

O’Leary’s personal scouting mission of his Namibian opponent only amounted to a matter of seconds, but he will be aware that Mungandjela holds a record of 16-3-1 (7 KOs) and that he is on a 14-fight winning streak, with his three losses and a draw coming in the early stage of his career.

“I was given a film of one of my opponent’s fights to have a look at, but it went the distance, so I only watched 10 seconds of it and that was it, enough for me.

“At the end of the day, fighters bring different stuff on the night, so it is about being a champion, proving myself on the night and adapting.”

The Queensberry debut O’Leary referred to came against the confident Nicaraguan Robin Zamora, who was brutally poleaxed in the second round at the Copper Box on an occasion he relished after finally finding himself on the big stage.

“It was amazing, but I found him a bit tricky at the start. I knew it was eight rounds and I would catch him, as soon as his feet got slow and that would be it. I switched southpaw, started to adapt a bit better because I go southpaw in the gym against Henry Turner for the whole thing. It is my trick, I am like the matrix and I can do it all. It is just a matter of timing in the ring and I’ve got to be patient.

“He wanted to win and ruin my career. I wasn’t going to let that happen so I had to go in, suss him out for the first round and for the second round Al told me to put the gas on, so that is what I went out and done,” he recalled, before paying tribute to the army of fans who travelled over to support him in London in numbers that a local fighter would be proud of.

“Yeah, I’ve got a really big fanbase, an incredible one, and without them it is impossible. You hear them when you are walking out and it gives you a spur. If you weren’t excited before you are when you get boosted by them and I think I am here for them and here to put a big statement in.

“Without them, what is boxing? They are all friends, friends of friends and friends of family. Where I come from, if someone is doing good, one household getting behind you leads to another one and another one and they all come along at a certain stage. I will sell a lot of tickets for this fight.

“Boxing is huge in Ireland and it could even be the top one out of all sports. It has always been right up there, especially when the Olympics is going on. They love the amateurs, love it, but not me though as I wanted to get out of it!”

Should O’Leary, as he anticipates, end this year as the proud owner of a shiny green WBC belt, he is quite clear as to where he would like 2023 to take him. And that is homeward bound.

“It is going to be a massive 2023. I want to keep on pushing, defend it a couple of times and then I plan on getting a fight back home. We deserve a fight back home in Dublin for the fans because there are so many people who come over here and spend a fortune on tickets, flights, hotels and spending money.

“A fight back home is what we need. Maybe the 3 Arena, or if it is going to be a welcome home fight, perhaps something smaller, but the 3 Arena for a major title. It is easily done.”

Tickets for Zach Parker vs John Ryder for the WBO Interim Super-Middleweight Championship on 26 November at The O2 are on sale now, available from axs.com.

Pierce O’Leary has his sights firmly set on the very top as he prepares to make his return on Friday’s action-packed #MTKFightNight.

This week’s stacked show is headlined by a British and Commonwealth lightweight title fight between Gavin Gwynne and Luke Willis and takes place at York Hall in London, and will be broadcast live in the US on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank and worldwide on IFL TV. Undefeated O’Leary (8-0, 4 KOs) is back following a seventh round stoppage win over Siar Ozgul last time out, and the Irishman is promising big things over the coming months. O’Leary said: “I had time off with the family over the last few months and enjoyed Christmas, but now I’m back out, refreshed and ready to go. “I’ve been way ahead of schedule in training, and people still haven’t seen the best of me. I felt my last performance was good, but not great, and I believe I can do better. When I face the big names and get to that top level, people will be in for a shock. “I’d have a title fight tomorrow if I could, but my management team know what is best and they’re holding me back on the reins so I can get that experience in the ring. I’d love to mix it with the best guys soon, but I’m still only 22, so I have loads of time left to make an impact. “We saw it with Gary Cully. He bided his time and now he’s had a fantastic win, so everything is falling into place for me too. I’ve been getting more comfortable as the rounds go on, and if I keep bringing the best Pierce O’Leary to the table, then nobody is going to beat me. “There is a road mapped out for me, and I’ll just keep working hard with my coaches. It’s been great since I started training in London, and my team has been a massive asset for me. I’ve been facing some high level fighters in sparring, and I feel I’ll get the stoppage this week.” Elsewhere on Friday’s card, Sam Gilley defends his English super-welterweight title against Drew Brown, Nina Hughes takes on Bec Connolly, plus Sultan Zaurbek, Carl Fail, Elliot Whale, Dean Richardson, Paul Ryan and Jimmy Croxson are all in action. Stay up to date by subscribing to our weekly newsletter HERE and on social media @mtkglobal

Next month’s #MTKFightNight event has added three exciting stars to the bill – with Pierce O’Leary, Sultan Zaurbek and Jimmy Croxson all in action.

The card is headlined by a British and Commonwealth lightweight title fight between Gavin Gwynne and Luke Willis and takes place on April 15 at York Hall in London, which will be broadcast live in the US on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank, and worldwide on IFL TV. Undefeated Irish sensation O’Leary (8-0, 4 KOs) returns after a superb 12 month period, where he earned impressive victories over Siar Ozgul, Jan Marsalek and Irvin Magno. Highly-rated Kazakh fighter Zaurbek (12-0, 8 KOs) is back too after a successful 2021, winning the vacant WBO European super-featherweight title against Ronnie Clark last July, before a defence in December where he stopped Ryan Wheeler in six rounds. Croxson will make his professional debut on the card after an impressive amateur career, with the highlight coming when he won the Haringey Box Cup at the age of 18. MTK Global Promoter Lee Eaton said: “We’re pleased to bolster our MTK Fight Night event next month with the addition of these three exciting stars. “Pierce and Sultan each had exceptional years in 2021, so it’s great to have them both back, and we’re very excited to see the professional debut of Jimmy Croxson too. Opponents for the three of them will be announced soon.” Elsewhere on the event on April 15, Sam Gilley defends his English super-welterweight title against Drew Brown, plus Nina Hughes goes up against Bec Connolly in a rescheduled clash after they were originally due to meet in February. More fights for the card will be revealed in the coming days. Stay up to date by subscribing to our weekly newsletter HERE and on social media @mtkglobal

Archie Sharp remained undefeated by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Alexis Boureima Kabore in a junior lightweight bout at York Hall in London.

Sharp, 129 1/4 lbs of London won by 100-90 scores on all cards and is now 21-0. Kabore, 129 1/4 lbs is 28-5.

Abreu Shocks Kulakhmet; Stops him in 7

Juan Carlos Abreu stunned previously undefeated and highly regarded Tursynbay Kulakhmet in round seven of yheir scheduled 10-round junior middleweight bout.

In round two, Kulakhmet dropped Abreu with a hard straight left.

That all changed in round seven as Abreu landed a perfect right to the jaw that sent Kulakhmet to the canvas. Kulakhmet was hurt, but trying to fight fight back until he ate another right to the jaw that sent him down face-first and the bout was over at 1:34.

Abreu, 153 1/4 lbs of the Dominican Republic is 24-6-1 with 22 knockouts. Kulkhmet, 153 1/2 lbs of Kazakhstan is 4-1.

Jordan Reynolds remained undefeated with a 1st round stoppage over Rodolfo Paterno in a scheduled six-round middleweight bout.

Reynolds landed a flurry of punches in the corner and the fight was stopped at 2:26.

Reynolds, 157 of England is 3-0 with one knockout. Paterno, 151 1/4 lbs of Italy is 2-5-2.

Shiloh Defreitas made a successful pro debut with a 4th round stoppage over Fonz Alexander in a scheduled six-round welterweight bout.

DeFreitas dropped Alexander in round four with a hard right hand. Alexander got to his feet, but was unable to continue at 1:37.

DeFreitas, 145 lbs of London is 1-0 with one knockout. Alexander, 148 1/2 lbs of Newark, ENG is 7-117.

Pierce O’Leary remained undefeated with a 7th round stoppage over Siar Ozgul in a scheduled eight-round super lightweight bout.

In round four, O’Leary dropped Ozgul with a right hand..

In round seven, O’Leary started to punish Ozgul and the fight was stopped at 1:13

O’Leary, 141 1/2 lbs of Dublin, IRE is 8-0 with four knockouts. Ozgul, 142 lbs of London is 15-7.

Sam Gilley remained undefeated undefeated with a six-round decision over Daniel Lartey in a middleweight fight.

Gilley, 157 1/2 lbs of England won by a 60-54 score and is now 12-1. Lartey, 161 1/4 lbs of Accra, GHA is 14-6-1.