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Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Lucky 13 for regal Ray
BY MAJELLA LOFTUS
RAY Moylette bridged a 35 year gap on Saturday evening last when he won Westport its first National Senior boxing belt since 1975.
In doing so he also landed Mayo its 13th national senior title.
The World Youth champion had an impressive ten points to three victory over Ulster Senior champion Stephen Donnelly of All-Saints in the 64kg final to follow in the footsteps of his coach and mentor, Peter Mullen, who ironically was Westport’s last national champion with three senior titles to his name.
After overcoming a tough semi-final light welter bout the previous weekend against reigning champion, Philip Sutcliffe from Crumlin, Moylette made sure he did not repeat the scare of trailing by four points after Round 1. Instead, he was three points up after his first round with Donnelly and was 5-2 ahead at the end of the second.
Donnelly left it all to do in the third and battled to chase Moylette but Ray’s determined guard and tough punching saw him add another five points in the final 60 seconds.
Speaking to the Western People yesterday (Monday), Ray said this title was the “most special”.
“It is nice to have this one now and nobody can take it away. I wanted this for a while and it’s hard to describe how it feels now that I have it.” He said he had also proved all of his doubters wrong when he moved up a weight to 64kg.
Saturday’s fight, he found, was a challenge both physically and mentally. “I may have beaten the reigning champion in the semi-final but Donnelly was the favourite for this one. He may never have been the best boxer but he was always strong. I now know, having beat him that I can change my style to adapt to anyone’s.”
Of the fight itself, Ray didn’t feel his first round was a good one. “I didn't feel that good physically, I saw the openings for punches and just couldn’t make them count. But I realised in the second I was very close to winning it and that gave me the boost I needed.”
He added, “It was great to win in Mexico but it was fantastic in Dublin because all my family and friends were there. Gary Kennedy and Paul Mullen, who coached me for the last 12 years were in my corner and Peter Mullen was shouting on the sidelines, where he likes to be! They were there to see it for themselves and I didn’t need to be telling them stories about it!”
St Anne’s won their second and the province’s first ever female title when Tara Keane was presented with the 64kg title. Raymond's girlfriend, Sharon McGing, also from St Anne’s, was unlucky in the 54kg Novice Final when she was beaten 11-7 by Amanda McLoughlin of Bray.
St Anne’s Boxing Club have won a title in every single boxing grade and Ray’s latest win brings the club’s tally of national titles to 48, the highest number in the province.
Mayo’s other senior title winners were Dick Hearns of Ballina in the 1930s; Dominic Lydon of Swinford in 1936 and 1937; Terry Casey of Ballaghadereen in 1972; Peter Mullen of Westport in 1973, 1974 and 1975; John McLoughlin of Ballinrobe in 1976; Adrian Sheerin of Swinford in 1997 and Henry Coyle of Geesala in 2004.
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