Dublin was the real winner after Pierce O’Leary and Darragh Foley battled it out on the Belfast Brawl card. The capital still has a new star to follow and a career that remains on course for stardom after the entertaining 10 rounds. While on the other hand one of its favourite boxing sons managed to leave the ring with his held high, even with his stock risen.
Put simply ‘Big Bang’ continues on his journey to the top after victory over Foley, who did more than enough to retain the high levels of respect he holds. O’Leary was a deserved wide winner but Foley made it competitive in parts and ensured his fellow Dub worked for his win. The Australian-based entertainer was down in second but was never out and was throwing punches right till end, trading on his toughness to see the final bell.
The Sheriff Street favourite showed why so many are so big on him with an eye-catching mix of beauty and brutality. The 24-year-old, who many believe is ready to lead a Dublin boxing revival, was cool, cold and collected as he landed big well-picked shots from start to finish. He couldn’t quite get the statement finish he wanted but did as well against the teak tough and experienced Foley as anyone, including Jack Catteral.
The Queensberry fighter was deserving of the 98-91, 98-91 and 99-90 although the wide cards don’t reflect the nature of the fight. Foley accepted the scorecards and seemed to endorse O’Leary claim to the Dublin throne by parading him around the ring on his sh.
