TRIBUTES PAID TO KEVIN SHEEHY
A man has been charged with murder after the tragic death of Irish amateur
TRIBUTES have been paid to Irish amateur boxer Kevin Sheehy. The young Limerick heavyweight, just 20 years old, was killed in a hit-and-run incident on July 1. A man has been charged with his murder.
Sheehy was a five time Irish champion already. The reigning under 22 national titlist was aiming for the 2024 Olympic Games. Most recently he won the Hull Box Cup. Sheehy was also about to become a father.
Sheehy boxed for the St. Francis amateur gym and his death was described as “one of the toughest days ever in the history of our club”.
“He was one of the nicest young men, he was mannerly and courageous and respected everyone. He will be a huge loss to the boxing club,” his coach Ken Moore said. “He was so excited to become a father and often talked about it.
“He was a young lad and it was the first time he went out in Limerick in three months. He went on a night out and hasn’t come home.
“This happens to a lot of young people and if it’s at someone else’s hand it has to stop. We have to put measures in place and cannot allow this to keep happening.”
Sheehy was killed in the incident on Hyde Road in Limerick. The following day, July 2, a man from Coventry, England, arrested. He was charged with murder on July 3 and remanded in custody.
Sheehy’s funeral took place on Saturday.
The boxer was from the same amateur club as Andy Lee, the former world champion. Lee paid tribute to him. “He was always very quiet – confident and focused – but very, very nice and humble. I can only describe him as a gentleman and a very, very talented boxer. And a huge loss to Limerick and Ireland in the boxing community,” he told Off the Ball. “It’s just shocking, shocking news to wake up to this morning. And obviously your thoughts go out to him and his family and to all at St Francis’ boxing club.”
“It’s such a shock for everybody,” he continued. “Everyone from all over the country and I’m just shocked about it.”
DEAN DELIVERS
Adam wins best boxer prize on Blacon show, writes Tommy Dix
THE up-and-coming Blacon ABC held a wonderful show, and money raising event, at the plush Crowne Plaza Hotel Chester on June 29.
The boxing, due to holidays and the closed season, was restricted to 10 bouts however the wonderful sporting crowd enjoyed every second of the action.
In a senior heavyweight bout Adam Dean, of Blacon, outpointed Halton’s J. Walton in a storming bout. This contest had the crowd roaring as both went for broke from the outset. Dean was giving height and reach away. Although Walton had a stiff jab at times Adam outjabbed him. The action was non-stop and the referee kept the bout flowing, helping to make this an excellent contest. Dean collected the signed glove for best performance by a home boxer.
Blacon’s Jaxon Heath beat Llangefni’s Dion Jones. Their well-schooled skills belied their age.
Wild Card’s Charlie Buckley outpointed Chester’s Tom Powell in an entertaining bout, Buckley just having the final edge in the exchanges.
Bradley Broadbent, of Blacon, lost a split verdict to Washington’s Jamie Burrows. A close verdict went against him in a bout of beautiful boxing, combination punching and excellent defensive work. Blacon’s Robyn Thomas won a very close contest with Southport’s Leooni Ormsby. This was a cracking bout with correct punching and lovely defensive moves by both.
IN FOCUS
Royston Barney-Smith is a Junior boxer to watch
TALENTED Royston Barney-Smith continues to perform well for the young England team. With a trophy cabinet already packed with silverware, he most recently secured a 54kgs bronze medal at the European Junior championships. “It was good really, it was very good,” he said of the tournament in Galati. “The atmosphere was great.”
“I had four [bouts] in five days,” he continued. He came up against Russia’s Mikhail Grigorian in the semi-final, conceding a unanimous decision to him. “He was a good boxer, very sharp,” Barney-Smith explained. “The fight was very much like a chess match. There wasn’t really a lot going on but we were both throwing shots that counted, if you know what I mean.”
He describes his own style as “in the middle of the ring, aggressive but counter-punching. Holding the centre and working from the middle really.
“I’ve always had good boxing knowledge. My boxing IQ is quite high.”
Barney-Smith has won plenty of trophies though. “I won the Schoolboy final, I got to the semi-final of the Junior ABAs,” he says. “Two European titles and one bronze.”
He’s one of the impressive champions emerging from Pinewood. “The boxing is at a high level, if you’re not very good you’re going to struggle there,” Royston says.
The England team as a whole are getting excellent results. “They’re fantastic with Mick Driscoll, Ivan Cobb and John Stubbs, they’re brilliant really. Very hard though mind,” Royson says. “You’ve got be very robust, resilient. They do put you through your paces.
“I’ve been going up the levels dramatically really, leaps and bounds I’ve been taking.”
His next competition next season will be the Junior ABAs. He’ll be looking to win that so he can represent England again for his fourth Europeans.
His club, Pinewood will have further representatives at the European Schoolboy championships next month. RJ Draper, who has completed a remarkable comeback to boxing, has been selected to box for England at the tournament in Georgia, as has his clubmate Joe Cooper, a two-time Schools champion himself.
MISSION 2019 – Vicky Glover
From Scotland
Stance Orthodox
Titles Scottish
VICKY GLOVER is one of Scotland’s experienced internationals. She was in action for the national team in an England-Scotland dual match last month. At The Edge in Wigan Glover chalked up a victory over England’s Jade Pearce, winning a unanimous points decision.
On the same June 15 show, her team-mate Sean Spence outpointed Ammar Akbar on a split decision. Scots Marc Johnstone and Harry McGrenra were also victorious, beating Junaid Bostan and Stephen Clarke respectively.
England ultimately won the event, with Olivia Holmes and Patrick Hewitt beating Dionne Pollard and Ryan Carling. Middleweight Ramtin Musah, an Elite finalist this year, outscored Darren Johnstone on a split decision and super-heavyweight Delicious Orie defeated old rival Nic Campbell. Welterweight Elliot Whale was the England team’s captain. He edged out Sam Hickey on a split decision.
