Willie McLaughlin finds the target in the WSB

Willie McLaughlin has been named in a formidable looking Italia Thunder side for the visit of Ukraine Otomans to Milan in the World Series of Boxing on Saturday night.

McLaughlin, Dominico Valentino and Clemente Russo – who were both beaten by Eric Donovan and Con Sheehan at the Dublin’s National Stadium in 2010 – Jahyn Vittorio Parrinello and Imre Szello have been called up to the five-man team as the Italians, the defending WSB champions, seek to bounce back from their 4-1 defeat to Joe Ward’s and John Joe Nevin’s British Lionhearts last time out.

McLaughlin is unbeaten in the WSB after winning five in-a-row for the Italians last season and will face Dmytro Mytrofanov in the middleweight class at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan, a venue where John Joe Nevin claimed bronze at the 2009 AIBA World Elite Championships.

Saturday’s five-rounder will be the McLaughlin’s (Illies GG) first outing of the season, and the Donegal orthodox reckon that if he performs to his full potential he will be celebrating his 6th WSB win on-the-trot.

“I am fitter and in better shape than I was last season, so yes, I am ready. I see Mytrofanov as being my toughest opponent to date. I know that if I box at my best I will beat him”, said the former Irish Elite champion.

Mytrofanov ran two-time WSB champion Sergiy Derevyanchenko close in his last appearance and believes that the onus will be on McLaughlin.

“I am confident of victory in Italy after my good showing against Derevyanchenko. The pressure is on McLaughlin and I will be exploiting this. Training with the Ukrainian team has been fantastic and we are all pumped up”.

McLaughlin will be the only Irish boxer in action in the WSB this weekend.

Ward’s and Nevin’s Lionhearts are away to Eric Donovan’s and Tyrone McCullagh’s  Astana Arlans of Kazakhstan in a top-of-the-table Group B clash on Saturday.

John Joe Nevin is action in the WSB

Nine Irish boxers will line out in the World Series of Boxing (WSB) in the 2012/13 season.

Olympic silver medallist John Joe Nevin and Joe Ward, the current European champion, will trade leather for the British Lionhearts, while Willie McLaughlin, who won five fights for Milano Thunder in the WSB last season, will line out for Italia Thunder.

David Oliver Joyce, who recorded a notable victory over  World champion Domenico Valentino in the WSB with Istanbulls, is with the German Eagles, while his St Michael Athy team-mate Eric Donavan and Tyrone McCullagh, both European bronze medallists, had inked deals with the Astana Arlans of Kazakhstan.

Michael Conlan, a bronze medal winner at the London Olympics, and Sean Turner have signed up with the USA Knockouts. Turner won one and lost one from the LA Matadors in the WSB last season.

Dynamic Belfast middleweight Conrad Cummings headed south of the border, down Mexico way, and will fight for The Guerrerors.

Michael Conlan (blue) in action at London 2012

None of the nine will be in action in the WSB this weekend, but Nevin and Ward and Conlan and Turner will be keeping a close eye on tonight’s curtain raiser between the USA Knockouts and the British Lionhearts in Los Angeles.

Nevin, who helped Paris United win the inaugural WSB Team Championships in 2010/11. will debut for the Lionhearts when they host Italia Thunder in Wales next week. Ward could also be in action against Willie McLaughlin’s side.

Matt Archibald, General Manager of the British Lionhearts, wants to see Irish boxing fans support Nevin and Ward, who are ranked in the top ten in the World by AIBA.

“We are delighted to have John Joe join the British Lionhearts squad. He is a top quality performer and his win against Alvarez Estrada from Cuba in the Olympic semi-finals was one of the stand-out performances of the Games.

“We also hope that, in signing John Joe and his team-mate Joe Ward, we will engage with the Irish boxing community who came in such numbers and supported so vociferously during the Olympic boxing competition.”

Irish WSB Boxers 2012/13 season

British Lionhearts

61kg: John Joe Nevin (Cavan BC)

85kg: Joe Ward (Moate BC)

German Eagles

61kg: David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy)

Italia Thunder

73kg: Willie McLaughlin (Illies GG)

Astana Arlans (Kazakhstan)

54kg: Tyrone McCullagh (Holy Family)

61kg: Eric Donovan (St Michael’s Athy)

Mexico Guerrerors

73kg: Conrad Cummings (Holy Trinity)

USA Knockouts

54kg: Michael Conlan (St John Bosco)

91+kg: Sean Turner (Drimnagh)

Willie McLaughlin (right) in action in the WSB last season

Willie McLaughlin is aiming to become Italia Thunder’s number one middleweight in the World Series of Boxing (WSB).

The unbeaten Illies GG BC (Donegal) clubman won five straight fights for Milano Thunder (now called Italia Thunder) last season and played a huge part in helping the Azzurri claim the WSB Team Championships.

Sergiy Dervyanchenko of the Ukraine was in pole position for the middleweight berth with Thunder last season, but has now departed for the Astana Arlans of Kazakhstan, who have signed McLaughlin’s Irish team-mates Eric Donovan and Tyrone McCullagh.

McLaughlin’s form last term delighted the Italians, and, speaking to WSB Web, the 2009 Irish Elite champion said that his objective for the 2012/13 season was to keep his unbeaten run intact and help Thunder retain the WSB trophy.

The 26-year-old also signaled out his Irish team-mate Ken Egan and Dervyanchenko as major influences.

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You had a fantastic campaign last season with the Italian team, contributing heavily towards the success of the Thunder. What is your next objective?

Well, my goal would be for our team to be number one at the end of the season once again and to retain the WSB trophy. We want that second star on the team crest. Personally, I am very proud of my unbeaten record so I want to keep it intact and build on my momentum. We have a very tough group but we will be ready for them all.

What do you like about your team?

There is a great bond between the boxers, coaches and staff, which is fantastic in terms of preparing for fights. There is a winning mentality here and the set-up is the best I have ever seen.

Do you enjoy the glamorous side of being associated with Dolce & Gabbana?

Yes, it’s quite different to anything I do in Ireland, that is for sure, it is nice to be kitted out in their gear and it makes you feel that bit special when doing stuff for them. D&G are a massive company which looks after top models and top football teams, so for us as boxers it is very special.

So far you have been unstoppable, five fights, five wins, including two knock-outs.What is your secret?

I am not sure to be honest, I had a great season last year but you must never forget that you are only as good as your last fight. I am giving away a lot of weight as I box at 69kg but I suppose it is the will I have to win that has got me this far. The Thunder have a great program for all of us, tailor made for each individual and their weight programs have been a massive help. I also had top sparing with Derevyanchenko.

What is your mindset when you enter the ring?

To keep cool, take each round at a time, keep focused 100% of the time and to always give all I have. If I do, then the result should take care of itself.

Is boxing en extreme sport?

Of course it is extreme, very extreme. You just have to keep pushing yourself to the limits all the time and you can never be fit enough.

What is your training program like at present?

At the minute I am with the national team, we train 2 times a day running and weights in the morning and boxing sessions in the evening, 5 times a week. If I am not with national team, I am at home doing lots of running and having bag sessions without forgetting the all important sparring.

Do you follow a specific diet?

I try and follow a diet as best as I can but I have to balance it between been heavier for WSB and been lighter for AIBA events. So yes, I have to watch what I eat at different times and get that right food in at the right time.

Do you have a boxing hero?

Not really, but at present Sergiy Derevyanchenko, being with him last year and watching what he did. He is a credit to the sport and a wonderful guy. Kenneth Egan from Ireland is a wonderful man and a great boxer and trainer.

Ken Egan

The 2012/13 World Series of Boxing (WSB) season is nearly upon us with the new term slated to glove off next week.

The USA Knockouts meet the British Lionhearts at home in California on November 15 in one of the first matches. Russia host India on the same day.

Numerous Irish boxers have competed in the WSB since the inaugural season in 2010/11, including Olympic silver medallists (2008 and 2012) Ken Egan and John Joe Nevin.

Nevin helped Paris United claim the inaugural WSB team Championships in 2010/11.

WHAT IS WORLD SERIES OF BOXING?

• · Established in 2010, World Series Boxing (‘WSB’) is the only national team boxing competition that is made up of teams from across the World
• · 2012/13 is the third season
• · The WSB aims to create alternative career paths for boxers which enable them to retain their eligibility to compete in the Olympics; it also aims to promote and create interest in boxing by creating new and exciting formats of the sport
• · It is governed by the International Boxing Association (‘AIBA’)
• · The main aims of WSB are to help make boxing a more legitimate sport for young athletes and to position boxing as one of the world’s leading aspirational sports
• · WSB offers the perfect bridge between Olympic/Amateur boxing and Pro boxing. especially with AIBA launching its own pro boxing programme in Autumn 2013, AIBA Professional Boxing (APB)
• · Each franchise has a minimum of 15 boxers; each team contains a core of boxers from that country along with a small number of international selections from other countries
• · Boxers compete in five weight categories:

o Bantamweight (54kg)

o Lightweight (61kg)

o Middleweight (73kg)

o Light-heavyweight (85kg)

o Heavyweight (91kg+)

• · The franchises are split into 2 groups made up from the following teams:

Group A                                 Group B

Dynamo Moscow                    Dolce & Gabbana Italia Thunder

India Fighters                          German Eagles

Azerbaijan Baku Fires              Ukraine Otamans

Argentina Condors                   Astana Arlans Kazakhstan

Mexico Guerreros                    USA Knockouts

Hussars Poland                       British Lionhearts

• · The top four teams from each group qualify for the quarter-finals (home and away fixtures); the winners progress to the semi-finals (home and away fixtures) and then on to the finals which will be held over two nights at a neutral venue in May 2013

WHAT IS THE WSB FORMAT?

• · WSB is for AIBA affiliated boxers as well as current pro boxers with records of less than 15 bouts – a key attraction is that boxers retain Amateur eligibility and thus can compete in the Olympics, The AIBA World Championships and also the Commonwealth Games
• · 50 WSB boxers competed in the London 2012 Games winning 7 medals between tthem
• · Competitors box without vests and head guards
• · The WSB scoring system is based on the ‘ten point must system’. Each bout is decided by the scores of three judges or, in some cases, by a knockout, technical knockout, disqualification or walk over
• · A WSB match between two international franchises consists of bouts in five weight categories: Bantamweight (54kg), Lightweight (61kg), Middleweight (73kg), Light Heavyweight (85kg) and Heavyweight (91kg+)
• · There are five three-minute rounds in each bout and the team that wins the highest number of bouts wins the meet
• · Gloves are 8 and 10oz (8oz Bantamweight and Lightweight: 10oz Middleweight, Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight)
• · Professional bandages are used (crepe and gauze)

Michael Conlan (blue) in action at the London Olympics

Some of Ireland’s top stars will be up for grabs at the World Series of Boxing (WSB) international draft in Switzerland on Sunday.

Nine Irish boxers will be available for selection in Lausanne.

Michael Conlan, a bronze medal winner at the London 2012 Olympics and currently ranked No. 3 in the World by AIBA, is one of three Irish boxers available in the 54kg class.

The two-time Irish Elite champion, who boxes at flyweight out of the St John Bosco BC in Belfast, will move up to 54kg for the WSB.

Tyrone McCullagh, a bronze medal winner at the 2010 European Championships, and the talented Sean McComb are also up from grabs in the 54kg category.

Five-time Irish Elite champion Eric Donovan is also available. Donovan also claimed bronze at the 2010 European Championships in Moscow and beat the then current AIBA World champion, Italy’s Dominico Valentino, the same year.

Eric Donovan with Irish coaches Billy Walsh and Zuar Antia

Donovan’s St Michael’s Athy BC team-mates John Joe Joyce and Roy Sheahan are also in the mix.

Joyce, who has already boxed in the WSB with Miami Gallos, reached the last-16 at the Beijing Olympics only to lose out on a countback to eventual gold medalist, Felix Diaz of the Dominican Republic.

The multiple Irish Elite champion, the 2008 European Union champion, won bronze at the 2008 European Championships in Liverpool.

The vastly experienced Sheahan, the 2007 European Union champion, has four Irish Elite titles to his name and has represented Ireland with distinction on numerous occasions.

Belfast’s Conrad Cummings, like McComb a member of the Holy Trinity BC, is available at 73kg.

The Belfast middleweight claimed silver at the 2011 Olympic Test Event at the ExCel in London and is one of Ireland’s rising prospects.

Former European Youth champion Jason Quigley and Sean Turner need no introduction to the WSB. Both boxers lined out for The Los Angeles Matadors last season and won the praise of none other than Evander Holyfield.

Quigley remains unbeaten in the WSB after securing two wins for LA last term, while Turner won one and lost one.

Teams from Azerbaijan, Argentina, China, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and the USA will compete in the 2012/13 season, which begins in November.

The draw for the new season will be made in Lausanne tomorrow followed by the international draft on Sunday.

One hundred boxers are available for selection from the international draft.

Please see below link for full list.

http://www.worldseriesboxing.com/news/news/2012/09/list-of-boxers-entering-the-20122013-wsb-draft.aspx

Irish boxers World Series of Boxing international draft Lausanne, Switzerland

54kg: Michael Conlan (St John Bosco, Belfast)

54kg: Tyrone McCullagh (Holy Family,Belfast)

54kg: Sean McComb (Holy Trinity, Belfast)

61kg: Eric Donovan (St Michaels Athy, Kildare)

73kg; Conrad Cummings (Holy Trinity, Belfast)

73kg: Roy Sheehan (St Michaels Athy, Kildare)

73kg: John Joe Joyce (St Michael’s Athy, Kildare)

73kg: Jason Quigley (Finn Valley, Donegal)

91+kg: Sean Turner (Drimnagh, Dublin)

Willie McLaughlin finds the target in the WSB

Willie McLaughlin’s Milano Thunder claimed the World Series of Boxing (WSB) Team Championships trophy following a 4-1 rout of Dynamo Moscow in London last night.

Italian Olympian Vincenzo Picardi edged Thunder into a 1-0 lead with a points decision over Russia’s Vladimir Nikitin at the ExCel, the venue for boxing at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Branimir Stankovic, Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Clemente Russo, who have been beaten by Ireland’s John Joe Nevin, Darren O’Neill  and Con Sheehan in recent seasons, also secured victories for the Italian side last night.

Hungary’s Imre Szello, who has lost out to Ken Egan and Joe Ward in international competition in the past, was beaten by Oleksandr Gvozdyk of Dynamo Moscow.

Donegal-native McLaughlin wasn’t included in the Thunder team to face the Russians last night.

However, the Illies GG club-man played his part in what has been an historic season for Milan with four straight victories in the WSB in 2011/12.

Last night’s win marks the second occasion that a European side has claimed the WSB Team Championships as John Joe Nevin’s Paris United won the inaugural trophy last season.

Willie McLaughlin

Willie McLaughlin and his Milano Thunder team-mates took some time out from their preparations for next Wednesday’s World Series of Boxing (WSB) Team Championships final with Dynamo Moscow to pose for a photo-shoot with top magazines Men’s Health and Mr Porter recently.

McLaughlin, who boxes out of the Illies GG club in Donegal, told WSB News that posing as models wearing the latest trends in sportswear was a completely new experience – as was having most of his hair shaved off.

He said: “This was a fun experience; the guys there were both very nice and helpful. The whole day was a bit surreal and unexpected. I was surprised at the amount of people working backstage, photographer’s assistants, make-up artists, hairdressers.

“We were the centre of attention for all these people. I must admit  that I really liked that. We had a good laugh with Ludovic Groguhé and Branimir Stankovic, who were the other models on the day. One thing that stands out for me, in this whole experience, is getting my hair shaved off so short”.

Thunder will meet Dynamo Moscow at the Excel in London, the venue for boxing at the 2012 Olympic Games, next Wednesday night.

Willie McLaughlin (left) and Milano thunder team-mates

The May 2nd mid-week showdown will be decided over five bouts.

John Joe Nevin’s Paris United won the inaugural WSB Team Championships final last season.

Tickets for the May 2nd final are now available on http://www.worldseriesboxing.com/tickets.aspx

VIP Ringside Tickets (£55)

Limited number of complimentary general admission seats available using code WSB-TF-5aYXRTKn

Take note that a draw will take place on the night of the event with exclusive Prizes up for grabs.

Willie McLaughlin finds the target in the WSB

London’s Calling to the hills of Donegal and Ireland for the upcoming World Series of Boxing (WSB) Team Championship final.

Willie McLaughlin’s Milano Thunder will face Dynamo Moscow in the 2011/12 decider next month at the Excel in London, the venue for boxing at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Undefeated McLaughlin, who boxes out of the Illies Golden Gloves club in Donegal, has won four fight for the Italian team this season.

The pinnacle of this 2011-2012 World Series of Boxing season is now just over one week away.

On Wednesday 2 May, both sides will battle it out for supremacy in the English capital with the prestigious WSB Team Champion title at stake.

Do you want to be there to witness this spectacle?

Tickets are now available on http://www.worldseriesboxing.com/tickets.aspx

VIP Ringside Tickets (£55)

Limited number of complimentary general admission seats available using code WSB-TF-5aYXRTKn

Take note that a draw will take place on the night of the event with exclusive Prizes up for grabs.

The Italian side met Baku away last night needing to win just one fight from the five-bout match following their 5-0 first-leg win in Milan in the first-leg, a victory that unbeaten McLaughlin, who boxes out of the Illies GG in Donegal, helped embellish after recording his fifth win on-the-trot for Thunder this season.

Likewise, all Thunder needed from last night’s second leg in Baku was to win one bout, a win that was achieved without having to throw a punch as Baku light-heavyweight Teymur Mammadov was forced to withdraw injured, a withdrawal that mean that Thunder received a walkover and a ticket into the 2011/12 WSB final.

Baku also withdrew Denys Poyatsyka last night and Thunder withdrew Sergiy Derevyanchenko, who Irish 2012 Olympian Darren O’Neill beat en route to silver at the 2010 European Championships in Moscow.

Baku, meanwhile, won two fights in the ring last evening to earn an academic 3-2 home win.

Thunder will now meet Dynamo Moscow – who beat the Astana Arlans of Kazakhstan in the corresponding semi-final - in the WSB team Championships final at the Excel in London, the venue for boxing at the 2012 Olympics,  in early May.

May’s finals pairings ensure that the WSB Team Championship trophy will remain in Europe for the second season running as John Joe Nevin’s Paris United claimed the inaugural trophy last season.

Willie McLaughlin

McLaughlin hits the target in WSB