Henry ‘The Western Warrior’ Coyle this week announced his return to the ring in the Royal Theatre, Castlebar, next month where he will defend his WBF Light Middleweight title against Marcelo Alejandro Rodriguez from Argentina. The details of Coyle’s first defence of the title he won in the same venue, when he stopped Italian Elio Cotena, were announced in a press conference in Elvery’s McHale Park, Castlebar, last Monday. Coyle had flown in from his training base in Chicago to announce the fight. Sitting at the top table he was flanked on either side by his father, Gerry Coyle, and his promoter, Brian Peters, who is once again bringing another night of top class professional boxing to Mayo. Peters even revealed in the conference that Coyle’s fight on August 17 would be the first professional card of boxing in Ireland this year.
Speaking at the launch, Coyle said of his opponent: “He’s going to be a very tough fighter, he’s been in with the best in the world and is a very tough and experienced guy. But I’m in the shape of my life, I’m injury free and it’s all about being in top shape and the zone come around 10.30pm on the night of August 17, and going out there and doing the business.”
Coyle will have to be in top shape to defend his title against Rodriguez who has 79 pro-fights behind him and 43 knockdowns on his CV.
The card will also feature the return of Cavan's Andy Murray as he looks to get back to winning ways following his points defeat to European Champ Gavin Rees in Cardiff last year. Murray, like Coyle, will face an Argentinian opponent in the shape of Sergio Omar Priotti. Two Ballyhaunis boxers will punch for pay for the first time on the card as welterweights Michael Waldron and Brandon Peake face each other on their professional debuts in an all Mayo affair.
With that line up the Royal Theatre is expected to have another full house and Coyle knows that all eyes will be on him as he looks to make a successful first defence of the WBF Light Middleweight belt. Tickets for the August 17 event, priced from €40, €60 and €100, go on sale fromthe Royal Theatre Box Office on 0818 300 000, Ticketmaster.ie / 0818 719 300, and the boxers on the bill.
