
Cork's Callum Walsh set to take on long-standing contender Espadas in June
Walsh (13-0, 11 KOs) last fought in March when he secured an impressive first-round knockout against Scotland's Dean Sutherland at Madison Square Garden. It was his third appearance at the iconic boxing venue.
The 24-year-old Cobh native will now return to Southern California on Saturday, June 21 to take on Espadas (23-6-1, 16 KOs) of Yucatan, Mexico at the Chumash Casino.
The 34-year-old Espadas most recently earned a draw against junior middleweight contender Sadriddin Akhmedov, who is also promoted by Tom Loeffler's 360 Promotions. The previously unbeaten Kazakh went for ten rounds with Espadas.
It marks another step up for Walsh. He is trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach out of Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles and supported by UFC boss Dana White. The fight will once again be shown live on UFC FIGHT PASS.
'I am destined to be the best fighter in the world,' he declared after his most recent victory. 'I am getting stronger and stronger and I am showing it each time.'
That was a fourth straight knockout. Walsh was originally due to fight in July, but after bursting through his St Patrick's Day outing, his next bout has been moved forward.
Elsewhere, Galway's Kieran Molloy will headline a boxing card at Pearse Stadium on Saturday, June 28. Promotional company GBM Sports confirmed on social media that the Oughterard native (11-0, 6 KOs) will fight in front his home fanbase. The 26-year-old previously sold out Salthill's Leisureland in 2023 and is now set for an outdoor show.
'When I signed as a professional a couple of years back, I was asked for my dream venue to fight in,' Molloy told Galway Bay FM.
'I mentioned Pearse Stadium straight away. To do it only over three years into my pro career is very exciting. I am really looking forward to it. GBM are going to put on a really good production alongside DAZN.'
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Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Dooley leveller means share of spoils for Douglas and Kanturk
Premier SHC: Douglas: 0-21 Kanturk: 2-15 A draw wasn't what either side wanted after opening day defeats in the Cork Premier SHC, but in the end it was Douglas more thankful for a point after it took a late Ronan Dooley score to level matters in Castletownroche. Losses two weeks ago meant neither team had room for error and it showed in the first half in a nervy display where both teams struggled to gain a foothold. Douglas did lead by a point at half-time having played with a strong wind, but they looked in trouble when Kanturk banged in two quick goals to lead by four points in the closing stages. The city team showed character though with Cork senior hurler Shane Kingston playing an influential role in the comeback. It did look like they ran out of time, but four minutes into added time, Dooley popped up with a point from close range. Douglas, despite having a strong wind with them in the opening 30 minutes, were slow out of the blocks. A Colin Walsh point after 70 seconds got Kanturk up and running before the same player had a goal opportunity four minutes in after being set up by Lorcan O'Neill, but his effort didn't have enough power to beat Douglas goalkeeper Donal Maher. Quick-fire points from Shane Kingston and Conor O'Donovan were well worked scores for Douglas. But it was a scrappy opening with both teams guilty of some poor shooting. Kanturk's Brian O'Sullivan holds onto the sliothar as he is about to be challenged by Eoin O'Flynn of Douglas during the Premier Senior Hurling Championshiop match in Castletownroche. Picture: Howard Crowdy With the stakes high, both teams didn't get a consistent run going here, though Kanturk did land three of the next four points with Colin Walsh pointing and also having a say in the other scores, 0-4 to 0-3 to the Duhallow team after 15 minutes. The sides traded points in what was a first half short of quality even if the wind was causing havoc. Kanturk continued to shade it approaching the interval as they led 0-7 to 0-6 with two minutes to the break, but points from Joseph Harte and Shane Kingston (free) gave the city outfit a slender 0-8 to 0-7 half-time advantage. Wind-assisted Kanturk started the new half sluggishly with Douglas' Ronan Dooley splitting the posts. They possibly could have been further, but it didn't happen as Alan Walsh raised a white flag to leave the bare minimum in it. The teams swapped points as neither team could gain a foothold, 0-10 to 0-9 after 38 minutes. A Brian O'Sullivan boomer did tie up matters. No surprise that the sides shared the next four points, 0-12 each with a quarter of the game left. A minute later in a rare goal chance, Conor Kingston's goal-bound effort deflected out for a 65 which Shane Kingston converted. Douglas continued to have their noses in front, 0-15 to 0-14 until Kanturk grabbed the bull by the horns. The excellent Brian O'Sullivan goaled after 51 minutes after Colin Walsh played a key role and despite Douglas sub Daniel Harte landing his second point, the Duhallow team got their second goal seven minutes from time when Rory Shehan billowed the back of the net, 2-14 to 0-16. Three successive Douglas points from them a point behind that man Shane Kingston pointed to level the game a minute from time. A difficult free was converted by Sheahan edged Kanturk ahead and had chances to push further ahead. With time up, Dooley stepped up to rescue Douglas and make sure there was a share of the spoils. Scorers for Douglas: S Kingston 0-10 (0-4 f, 0-2 65), C O'Donovan 0-3, R Dooley, D Harte 0-2 each, M Howell, C Kingston, A Cadogan, J Harte 0-1 each. Kanturk: R Sheahan 1-4 (0-4 f), B O'Sullivan 1-3, C Walsh 0-3, A Walsh 0-2, T Walsh, P Walsh, I Walsh 0-1 each. DOUGLAS: D Maher; D Murphy, B O'Neill, K McSweeney; E O'Flynn, M Howell, J O'Callaghan-Maher; D Kelly, A O'Connell; C Kingston, S Kingston, R Dooley; A Cadogan, J Harte, C O'Donovan. Subs: S Barron for J Harte (43), D Harte for J O'Callaghan-Maher (50), B O'Connor for D Kelly (62). KANTURK: G Bucinskas; J McLoughlin, M Healy, C Mullane; L McLoughlin, T Walsh, D Browne; P Walsh, B O'Sullivan; I Walsh, C Walsh, L O'Neill; R Sheahan, A Walsh, J Fitzpatrick. Subs: D O'Connell for J Fitzpatrick (43), L O'Keeffe for L O'Neill (59), C Sheahan for L McLoughlin (61). Referee: Aidan Hyland (Kilworth).

Irish Times
5 hours ago
- Irish Times
Oasis fans in Dublin: ‘It was a lot of money but it's also a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing'
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Those in need of more gear queued for a pop-up Oasis merchandise shop at St Stephen's Green. 'What they can do when they come together is incredible,' O'Neill says. 'My dad would always talk about when he saw them in Cork. I was always so jealous and now I get to be the one up here.' 'My dad is going so it'll be an emotional one for the two of us,' Daly-Brennan adds. 'Live Forever has always been my number one. Some Might Say, Cast No Shadow, Talk Tonight – I'm going to be crying I'd say.' It will be an emotional occasion for many, and a particularly nostalgic one for long-time friends Jason Watson and Jimmy White. The former, sporting a Shelbourne shirt, lives in Dublin but grew up in London, where Watson remains. Jimmy White (left) and Jason Watson (right) 'In the 90s, I was big on the chart music and Britpop and the whole thing,' Watson says. 'It's just a throwback to them days really. Not just Oasis, but it reminds me of the bands that were out like Pulp and Blur. We used to have the battle of the bands in the charts and everything. It's just throwing it back to them days.' [ 'Seeing Oasis live in 1996 changed everything ... I changed my clothes, hair and walk' Opens in new window ] He added: 'Music is different now. Back then, we used to go to record stores and buy records. It meant a lot more. The charts were out every week ... It's being able to step back in time a little bit and feel like that again.' 'When I was at school I had the hair and I was in a band,' says White. 'It was everything growing up. It's sort of the soundtrack to my teenage years, so it'll be a bit of nostalgia today. The first gig I went to was in '97 and they were supported by The Verve, so it'll be repeated today.' Much has been made of the ticket prices for the tour, jokingly addressed by Liam Gallagher on the opening night in Cardiff when he asked fans if it was worth paying £40,000 for a ticket. There is a sentimental attachment to Oasis, however, that relegates any thoughts of overspending. 'It was a lot of money but it's also a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing,' White says. 'You can make back money later on when you're older, but you can't buy these times, can you? It'll be a shared moment.' 'I've got a mate who passed away unfortunately,' Watson says. 'He used to do a bit of singing and that in his local pub, and he liked Champagne Supernova. I think when that comes on it'll be a bit emotional.' For Kevin and Becky O'Brien, who live in Leicestershire, Oasis hold a special place in their personal history. 'We walked down the aisle after we got married to Wonderwall,' she says. 'My son sang it at the wedding.' Kevin and Becky O'Brien, who travelled to Dublin from Leicestershire for the Oasis gig Originally from west Cork, Kevin has been in the UK for the last 30 years or so. 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I was up until three or four in the morning waiting for tickets. I had to find a way to make it.' Oasis do have US dates lined up over the coming weeks, but Miller says the relationship with their music is different here. 'People know Wonderwall,' he says. 'They might know Champagne Supernova and Don't Look Back in Anger. Maybe those three, but that's it, so it was cool being at the pubs last night where everybody was singing all the songs.'


Irish Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
What time and TV channel is UFC 319 on tonight?
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