Pierce O’Leary meets Darragh Foley in summer showdown in Belfast
The ‘Big Bang’ Pierce O’Leary will make a fourth defence of his WBC International super lightweight title against Darragh Foley when Queensberry make a return to Belfast at the SSE Arena on Friday June 28, live on TNT Sports.
In the co-main event of ‘Belfast Brawl’, recent Frank Warren signing Conor Quinn will fight for the vacant Commonwealth flyweight championship when he takes on the English champion Conner Kelsall on his Queensberry debut.
O’Leary (14-0, 9 KOs) last fought in Birmingham back in March when he overcame the unbeaten Hovhannes Martirosyan in an impressive fashion, stopping the Belgian in round nine.
Foley (22-5-1, 10), the Irish southpaw based in Sydney, Australia, is a former regional IBF and IBO champion and was most recently in action in Manchester, where he was defeated on points by Jack Catterall.
In his previous fight, he overcame Robbie Davies Jr via a third-round stoppage in Liverpool, with the home fighter also sustaining an ankle injury that prevented him from continuing.
Quinn (9-0-1, 6 KOs), the Celtic champion, teamed up with the Hall of Fame promoter following a strong recommendation from fellow Belfast boy Carl Frampton and ‘The Magnificent’ launches his TNT Sports journey with a fight in his home city against an also unbeaten contender in Kelsall (11-0, 1) from Doncaster.
Belfast favourite James McGivern (8-0, 2) will make a first defence of his BUI Celtic championship when he goes up against Cardiff’s Rahid Omar (6-0, 1) in a battle of the unbeaten lightweights over eight rounds.
McGivern, 26, seized the title in November of last year with victory over the previously undefeated Josh Sandford in Letterkenny.
The vacant Commonwealth Silver featherweight title will be on the line for Belfast ‘Posh Boy’ Colm Murphy (11-0, 3), who goes up against the Scot Jack Turner (6-1).
Five further recent Frank Warren signings will feature on the night. Ferocious Liverpool bantamweight Jack Turner (6-0, 6) – who is yet to experience the second round of a fight in the pros – along with Jadier Herrera (14-0, 12), a Cuban southpaw, who both train out of the Rotunda Gym in Liverpool.
Plus Steven Cairns (7-0, 4) from Cork, as well as with Bedfordshire welterweight Nicola Barke (4-0) and the decorated amateur star from Ballyhaunis Eoghan Lavin (1-0), who made his professional debut at York Hall in April.
The professional debut of Manchester super welterweight Walter Fury completes the card.
“I am very much looking forward to returning to Belfast where, most recently, we staged hugely successful shows headlined by Carl Frampton,” said promoter Frank Warren
“I am very happy to be going back and showcasing the talents of Queensberry’s Irish contingent, headed up by Conor Quinn and Pierce O’Leary, with both in big fights and Conor in what should be a classic collision with the English champion, the highly-rated Conner Kelsall.
“There will be lots of local talent on the card – including a number of our new signings – and I am particularly looking forward to seeing Steven Cairns in action for the first time under the Queensberry banner, plus Jack Turner, who comes with an already formidable reputation.”
Tickets for Belfast Brawl at SSE Arena, Belfast on Friday, 28 June go on SSE Presale tomorrow (Wednesday, 29 May) at 10am, and on General sale on Thursday, 30 May available from: ticketmaster.ie