Moylette and Ward Reach Finals

Irish World Youth champions Joe Ward and Ray Moylette are through to the finals at the European Senior Championships following semi-final wins over Hungarian and Azerbaijani opponents in Ankara, Turkey, yesterday.

Moylette, the 2008 AIBA World Youth champ, beat Hajiliyev Heybatulla in the light-welterweight class to set up today’s final with Thomas Stalker of England.

And 17-year-old Ward, the 2010 AIBA World Youth champion, followed that up with a comprehensive 18-8 win over Hungarian puncher Imre Szello, who is 11 years the Irish teenager’s senior.

Ward, who boxes out of the Moate BC in Westmeath, will now meet Russian Nikita Ivanov in today’s 81kg final. Ivanov, a two-time Bosckai Memorial Cup gold medal winner, beat Croatia’s Hrvoje Sep in the corresponding 81kg semi-final.

Ivanov replaced World champion Yegor Mekhonstev on the Russia team for Turkey as head coach Nikolay Khromov continues to keep his cards close to his chest ahead of the World Championships and Olympic qualifiers in Baku, Azerbaijan, next September/October.

Ward and Ivanov sparred at Ireland’s training camp in Russia this year and Irish team manager Des Donnelly reports that Ward, one of the youngest finalists in the 87-year history of the European Championships, was well able for the Russian.

Ward was 11-4 up going into the third round of yesterday’s semi-final and even found time to beckon Szello forward, a cheeky gesture that earned the 2009 AIBA World Junior champion a ticking off from the referee.

“Joe was in against a vastly experienced opponent and he made him look ordinary, said Irish head coach Billy Walsh. “It was a fantastic performance from someone of such tender years. Joe has a another big day ahead of him tomorrow but his confidence will be very high after this win.”

Meanwhile, Moylette had a deserved victory over Heybatulla, the St Anne’s BC, Westport, light-welterweight, a gold medal winner at the 2008 AIBA World Youth Championships in Mexico, winning 18-16.

A close duel saw both boxers share the first round 4-4 and the second 9-9, before Moylette, who was landing most of the cleaner shots throughout, claimed the final round and victory.

He’ll now meet England’s Thomas Stalker in today’s 64kg final.

Liverpool native Stalker. a silver medal winner at the 2010 European Championships and the current Commonwealth champion, received a walkover over Italy’s Vincenzo Mangiacapre in the other semi-final.

It is understood that Mangiacarpe was injured.

Walsh added: “The final score didn’t reflect Ray’s performance. It was a fantastic display, particularly in the third round when he pulled out all the stops to a very well deserved win.

“Thomas Stalker is a good lad. He’s a good boxer and he’s won a lot on his day. Ray and Thomas Stalker deserve to be in the final – both of them are there on merit.”

Moylette, who broke his left hand after falling on ice last Christmas, sparred with Stalker in a training camp in Sheffield earlier this month and vowed there’ll be no slips up this time.

“We sparred in two session at the training camp in Sheffield recently and he won some and I won some. I learned a lot from those sessions to tell you the truth,” he said.

“We were even going into the third in the semi-final and I didn’t know what the score was when the final bell wen,t but I was smiling because I was happy with my performance, happy with the fact that I gave it everything.

“I landed the cleaner shots against the Azerbaijani lad. It was a really tough fight and I had to keep my concentration.

“Both of us have similar styles in that we were waiting for the other to come forward and then countering.

“The way I looked at the semi-final was that I already had a medal in the bag and the pressure was off and I went in there to enjoy myself. I had nothing to lose.

“I’ll be going in to enjoy myself again in the final and I’ll be giving it everything. Thomas Stalker is a good boxer, make no mistake about that. It will be a tough, tough one but I’m confident.

“I’m delighted with this win and to be taking home a medal. I’m into a European final now and it proves that my world title win in Mexico in 2008 was not a flash in the pan.”