Jono Carroll and Colm Murphy clash in all-Ireland IBO battle
Dublin’s Jono Carroll (25-3-1, 7 KOs) and Belfast’s Colm Murphy (15-0, 5 KOs) will lock horns in an intriguing battle for the vacant IBO world super-featherweight title on the undercard of Cacace-Dickens in the 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland, on March 14, live on DAZN.
The prestigious IBO belt has been residing in Belfast for over three years now, brought back from Manchester by Anthony Cacace in September 2022 having won it from the Italian titleholder Michael Magnesi.
So this all-Irish clash means that the belt will remain in the Emerald Isle, but will it stay be taken back to Belfast or find a new home in Dublin? Let’s explore further…
Jono Carroll
Now 33, ‘King Kong’ Carroll has been operating in the pro ranks for over 13 years now, debuting way back in December 2012, his first two bouts taking place in Australia. His third fight took place at the same setting as his next fight – the 3Arena in Dublin.
At just 3-0, 22-year-old novice Carroll entered the Matchroom Boxing Prizefighter Tournament for lightweights, live on Sky Sports, where he defeated the favourites Stephen Foster and Gary Buckland to reach the finals against Southern Area champion, Michael Devine, who he also beat to lift the trophy and the large cash prize. Three wins in one night against opponents with a combined record of 72-11.
After winning and defending the IBF Inter-Continental super-featherweight strap between 2017-2018, Jono was awarded with a shot at the IBF world champion, Tevin Farmer, in Philadelphia in 2019. Despite the wide unanimous decision defeat, he earned the respect of the American champion, who took him out the very next day to treat him to a local delicacy – a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich.
In 2020, Carroll’s collected the biggest scalp of his career when he stopped former WA super-bantamweight champion Scott Quigg in the 11th round in Manchester.
But then, during lockdown, the pesky Maxi Hughes outworked him behind closed doors to hand him a second career defeat. He rebuilt with six straight wins, flying out to Spain, Dubai, America, Uzbekistan, between 2021-2023.
Then he got another shot at world honours, against the fearsome Russian, Albert Batyrgaziev, for the WBA Interim super-featherweight title at the IBA Colosseum in Serpukhov. The underdog did well to wobble the home favourite in the third round, but was eventually broken down and stopped in the ninth.
He has since bounced back with a points win over 11-0 Venezuelan Alexander Prado in Dubai in March 2025, and this next fight falls just one day earlier to the year of that last outing.
Colm Murphy
According to Irish News, Colm Murphy struggled with basic things as a teenager, such as tying his shoelaces, and still finds shadow boxing a difficult technique to master, but when a live body is placed in front of him, that’s when he is at his best.
The 25-year-old nicknamed ‘Posh Boy’ for his looks and brains – he has a university degree in quantity surveying – only debuted in September 2021, one week before Carroll competed in his 23rd fight in Florida. He also refers to himself as a ‘Violent Gentleman’.
In his eighth outing, Murphy became an Irish super-featherweight champion, in July 2023; then two years later he picked up the newly formed European Silver featherweight belt, going the 12-round distance for the first time, two of the judges awarded all 12 rounds his way.
He also won the Commonwealth Silver featherweight title in a bloodbath with Jack Turner inbetween those aforementioned title fights, in 2024. The contest was stopped after Turner was cut badly over both eyes from accidental head clashes.
Remarkably, Murphy is a fighting in a Commonwealth featherweight title showdown with Tanzania’s Saleh Kassim (12-5-2) in Newtownabbey in NI on January 31, just six weeks prior to his IBO shot. No Irish fighter has won that title in 71 years, since Billy ‘Spider’ Kelly beat ‘Smiling’ Sammy McCarthy in 1955.
42 days later, ‘Posh Boy’ will move up to super-featherweight to take on the ‘King Kong’.
Tale of the Tape
Carroll
Age: 33
From: Dublin, Ireland
Bouts: 198
Rounds: 98
KO: 28%
Debut: 16/12/2012
Stance: Southpaw
Height: 5′ 6″
Reach: 64″
Murphy
Age: 25
From: Belfast, N.Ireland
Bouts: 15
Rounds: 98
KO: 33.33%
Debut: 04/09/2021
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 5′ 8″
Reach: 68″
Betting Odds
2/1 Carroll
1/2 Murphy
22/1 Draw
Prediction
Jono Carroll has almost twice the experience that Colm Murphy has. This will be his 30th contest in his 14th year as a pro. Fresh-faced Murphy has had exactly half that number of fights, at the time of writing, but with very little miles on the clock.
Murphy could get off to a bright start, if he can use his height and reach advantage to full effect. He has such long levers and throws a lot of straight shots from long-range, but Carroll is brave, gutsy and relentless and if he wants to come on strong, there may be very little Colm can do to keep him off. Even though he is rangy, Murphy still finds himself in close quarters and tied up.
Murphy is aggressive, always on the front-foot, so Carroll won’t have to go looking for him. It could get a bit messy and ugly if the pair get tangled up too much, but I would favour the round hooks and body work of Jono in close, than the rangy straight shots from Murphy. If the pair trade on the inside, I can only see Carroll winning those exchanges.
The seasoned Carroll to win. Neither one has knockout power, so I would expect this to go the distance. But if they fight toe-to-toe, then someone might have to go at some point. Hopefully, there won’t be any headbumps or cuts that could end the fight prematurely.
DID YOU KNOW? The IBO world super-featherweight title was first won by Iowa’s John Roby in April 1993 in America, and in his first defence, a year later, he was defeated by Floyd Mayweather Jr’s uncle, Jeff Mayweather.
