‘Who’s who’ of boxing will help All Saints mark anniversary

A ‘who’s who’ of Northern Irish boxing past and present will gather to help a Ballymena club celebrate a milestone in its history later this month.

All Saints Boxing Club marks its 50th anniversary this year and as part of the celebrations, the club is holding a fight night on Saturday, April 21, in the Leighinmohr House Hotel.

On that night, the Cushendall Road club’s current crop of boxers will display their skills against an Ulster Select outfit.

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But as well as the action in the ring, much interest will centre on events in the audience, where some of the great names in the sport from Northern Ireland will be present.

Older fans of the sport will recall three-times Commonwealth Games medallist Davy Larmour and former Lonsdale Belt winner Hugh Russell.

Eamon McAuley, himself a former professional, and a great nephew of the great Rinty Monaghan will also be in attendance, bringing with him Rinty’s world championship belt, won at a time before the governing of the sport split into its present four organisation format and when there were only one title per weight division.

Moving through the years, Ballymena-based Eamonn Loughran will also be in attendance, along with his WBO world welterweight belt.

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As well as those boxers from yesteryear, there will also be plenty of current interest, with Carl Frampton, the reigning Commonwealth super-bantamweight champion.

Other current title holders who will be present on the night will include Paul McCloskey, the European Light Welterweight champion, whose controversial defeat by Amir Khan in 2011 is still talked about to this day.

Other well-known names in the sport who have pledged their support to the All Saints function include Paddy Barnes, Gerry Storey and Jim Montague.

The event will be compered by Harry McGavock, who will combine his announcing duties in the ring with interviewing the past and present stars.

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Tickets for the event are priced at just £10 each and are available from the club or from any committee member.

Copies of boxing writer Denis O’Hara’s book chronicling the history of All Saints are also on sale from the club or from Diamond’s newsagents, Broughshane Street.

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