BoxingIrish head coach Billy Walsh has admitted the stakes could hardly be higher at the World Amateur Championships and Olympic qualifiers at the University of Illinois, Chicago, tonight.
Three Irishmen - Ken Egan, Eric Donovan and Paddy Barnes - will be in the ring for last-16 bouts in the Windy City, just one fight away from the quarter-finals and qualification for next year's Olympic Games in Beijing.
Egan, the Ireland team captain, faces the Croat Marijo Sivolija, a silver medallist from the 2005 World Championships in Mianyang City, China. The Neilstown, Dublin, clubman beat Sivolija at the EU Championships in Sardinia over two years ago.
Both men were due to meet at the 2007 EU Championships at Dublin's National Stadium last June but Sivolija pulled out after picking up a facial injury and Egan went on to claim light-heavyweight gold.
The St Michael's, Athy, lightweight Eric Donovan, meanwhile, will renew acquaintances with Dominico Valentino just a few months after he was stopped in round three by the Italian at the EU Championships.
Paddy Barnes, of Holy Family, Belfast, meets Kenji Ohkubo, an orthodox puncher from Japan. Barnes has been having a brilliant tournament, scoring 63 points and conceding just 29 in his two wins (both against southpaws).
Walsh said, "Ken, Eric and Paddy will all be boxing for places in the Olympics . . . But the lads have the temperament and talent to cope with the pressure.
"Paddy has been boxing out of his skin out here and if he can keep up this type of form then he is in with an excellent chance.
"Eric is also having a fine tournament.Valentino beat him last time out. But this is a different Eric Donovan who has been performing brilliantly so far and is totally focused on what he has to do tonight."
Middleweight Darren Sutherland and heavyweight John Sweeney were in the ring in the early hours of this morning for last-16 bouts versus Alfonso Blanco of Venezuela and Rakhim Chakhkiev of Russia.
Today's Draw
(Last 16, Irish intererst)
48kg: Paddy Barnes v Kenji Ohkubo (Japan); 60kg: Eric Donovan v Dominico Valentino (Italy); 81kg: Ken Egan v Marijo Sivolija (Croatia).
