In pictures: Raphoe Boxing Club tournament delivers reminder of boxing's real beauty

Click on the arrows to go through the photos by Joe Boland (North West Newspix)

A night after the hideous charade involving Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, the very grassroots of boxing showed the sport’s true value in Raphoe on Saturday night.

Raphoe Boxing Club’s annual tournament, featuring 13 bouts, was in marked contrast to the depressing ‘exhibition’ put on by the 58-year-old Tyson and YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul.

The big crowd at Deele College saw real honest endeavour right throughout.

The final bout of the bill, a senior middleweight showdown between Raphoe BC’s Eunan McLaughlin and Shea McLarnon of St John’s, was in keeping with the tale of this tape.

McLaughlin landed a super shot on McLarnon at the outset before having his buzzer bloodied by the Swatragh man soon after. As the crimson trickled, McLaughlin’s reaction was good and the Strabane man nailed a good right hook at the close of the first verse.

Early in the second round, with the blood still seeping and international referee Sadie Duffy keeping a close watch on things, McLaughlin needed the attention of the ringside medic, Donna Barr, herself no stranger to boxing’s big stage. A two-time Irish Elite finalist, Barr is a former team-mate of Katie Taylor and Kellie Harrington having been Ireland’s light-flyweight competitor at the 2016 AIBA Women’s World Championships in Kazakhstan.

Barr gave the green light to McLaughlin, who did further spade work in a useful second stanza. 

In the third, McLarnon required a bloodied nose of his own seen to by Barr. Red specks doused the vests of both participants with McLaughlin - brother of recently-turned professional boxer Cathal McLaughlin - getting to work again on the resumption.

The cards were almost a complete clean sweep for McLaughlin, who took a unanimous decision. One judge gave McLarnon the third round, but everything else was McLaughlin’s way.

An excellent final round by Garbhan Patton cemented a unanimous decision in his clash with Twin Towns’ Callum O’Loughlin in a senior middleweight scrap, while Clonoe light-heavyweight Conan Herron got the measure of Raphoe’s Ryan McDaid.

Derryveagh’s David Tennyson warmed up for the Ulster 9 County Championships with a fine win over Raphoe’s Jack McElroy. Tennyson recently won the light-welterweight gold at the King of the Ring tournament in Swedeny, beating Tariz Korziz from Ukraine in the final and he did enough here for a unanimous verdict.

The returning Tyler Keaveney chalked up a timely victory over the busy Rowan Doherty from Clonmany and an all-action bout saw Gary McNamara of Raphoe defeat Clonoe’s Jack Brannigan.

Although involved in a no-decision contest, Twin Towns’ Caoimhin Connolly was one of the punchers to catch the eye. Connolly certainly looks like a young man to watch and he showed his worth in an exhibition bout with Conan McSorley of Two Castles BC.

Tyrone Olympians Tommy Corr (Los Angeles 1984) and Jude Gallagher (Paris 2024) were among the special guests with 1982 Irish super heavyweight champion Eamonn Coyle and former world title challenger Jason Quigley also in attendance. There were pointers to the future too with Raphoe BC graduates Cathal McLaughlin and Danny Duffy, both flicking over to the pro ranks, included in a capacity crowd. 

History was made too as the Annagry Boxing Club made its return to local boxing as Rhys Ward took his place among the early exhibitions, lining up against LJ O’Neill. 

The home club sported a new kit, sponsored by former Raphoe BC boxer Ciaran McCullagh from Ciaran’s Butchers, and they took seven wins from the nine competitive bouts, including young Hannalee Peoples, who carved out a unanimous decision against Sarah Tennyson. 

Their efforts and reactions were enough to confirm that is at its real heart where this battered old sport’s true beauty can be found; If only the beholders were looking. 

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Raphoe Boxing Club Tournament: Senior 75kgs - Eunan McLaughlin (Raphoe) beat Shea McLarnon (St John’s) 3-0; Senior 80kgs - Ryan McDaid (Raphoe) lost to Conan Herron (Clonoe) 0-3; Senior 75kgs - Garbhan Patton (Raphoe) beat Callum O’Loughlin (Twin Towns) 3-0; Youth 63kgs - Jack McElroy (Raphoe) lost to David Tennyson (Derryveagh) 0-3; Youth 2 Exhibition - Conan McSorley (Two Castles) v Caoimhin Connolly (Twin Towns); Youth 2 60kgs - Gary McNamara (Raphoe) beat Jack Brannigan (Clonoe) 3-0; Boy 4 Exhibition - Taylor Parke (Raphoe) v Conan Keenan (Twin Towns); Boy 2 42kgs - Tyler Keaveney (Raphoe) beat Rowan Doherty (Clonmany) 3-0; Girl 1 43kgs - Hannalee Peoples (Raphoe) beat Sarah Tennyson (Derryveagh) 3-0; Boy 3 48kgs - Harry Magee (Raphoe) beat Johnny Cannon (Derryveagh) 3-0; Boy 3 38kgs - Jack Barr (Raphoe) beat Davin McGrath (Ederney) 2-1; Exhibitions - LJ O’Neill (Raphoe) v Rhys Ward (Annagry), Rory Crawford (Raphoe) v Jack McGoldrick (Ederney).