Galway fighters were successful at the recent kickboxing show which featured three World title fights in the Black Box Theatre.
The feature fight of the evening was battle for the vacant IKF world light heavyweight crown between current European champion, Galway’s Cathal "Mean Machine" Manning and two-times IKF World Classic Tournament champion Joseph "Crush" Corneroli from South Carolina in the USA.
This fight went the full championship distance, although there was a short pause for the doctor to check Corneroli’s left eye after Manning opened a cut with a thunderous roundhouse kick much. Although the American made one last effort to take Manning out, the Galway fighter was in control, winning the world title by unanimous decision.
Nikki "The Killer" Collins, in a mandatory first defence of her IKF world bantamweight title, took Alicia Mermoux from France, unbeaten and two-times world champion at a different weight. Collins started slow and found herself knocked to the canvas, but in round two she took the French fighter down on two occasions before cruising to a comfortable win by unanamous decision.
Galway’s All Ireland and Five Nations champion Eric Daly, who hails from Gort, took on current IKF British champion Howard Hogg from Cardiff in Wales. After five rounds, this bout finished in a majority draw after one judge went for Daly, one for Hogg, and another was undecided.
Claregalway’s Catherine Cullinan claimed a Five Nations title by split decision from IKF English champion Zoe Land, while Bryan Merrigan from Oughterard coasted his way to a unanamous decision against Dublin’s Stephen Dent.
In other fights Yvonne Mc Nevin from Galway Black Dragon won by TKO against Jo-Ann Conlon from Tralee; Galway’s Martin Murray lost on points to Donegal’s Chris McCrudden; Galway’s Valerie Hamilton won by unanimous points to Mags Walsh from Kilkenny; Galway’s Karen Coffey and Donna Doherty from Ennis finished in draw; Gary Giles (Galway ) won by unanimous decision to Henry Tobann, Laois.
The proposed bout for the vacant IKF International Rules world cruiserweight title between Aidan Brooks from Dublin and Serbian Miletic Nenad from France, had to be cancelled after
Nenad did not have the required visa to enter Ireland.
