O'Neill played 'quite well' after 'brave' McGeeney call
Armagh legend Oisin McConville said Rian O'Neill played "quite well" in the county's All-Ireland round-robin win over Derry on Saturday after manager Kieran McGeeney's "brave" decision to start him.
Having initially not been named in the matchday squad, O'Neill was a late replacement for Aidan Forker at the Athletic Grounds, marking the Crossmaglen club-man's first competitive appearance since last year's All-Ireland final.
O'Neill stepped away from the panel for personal reasons earlier, and while McGeeney previously said he did not expect him back this year, the All-Star returned to help the team begin their Sam Maguire defence with a 2-21 to 2-17 win.
"It was great to see him back," McConville said on The GAA Social of his nephew.
"He got a great reception and for a lad that's missed so much football, he actually played quite well, was on the ball a good bit, got a score.
"It was a brave decision from Geezer to throw him straight back in there. Most people would have thought 'yeah, he'll be on the bench, he'll get 20 or 30 minutes' but he actually got 50-plus minutes under his belt, which is a massive help going into the Dublin game."
McConville, an All-Ireland winner with the Orchardmen in 2002, added that while Armagh were "disjointed" in the second half against Derry, it was a "fairly perfect" precursor to Sunday's game against Dublin in Croke Park.
The Wicklow boss also said Derry can take positives from the game, having kept Armagh within reach despite trailing by 13 points with 20 minutes left, but argued that Oak Leaf boss Paddy Tally must address his side's kick-outs.
"They need to sort out their own kick-outs," McConville said of Derry, who are yet to win under Tally.
"That's an area that needs sorted quickly and that'll give them much more of a platform.
"Armagh went to town on it at times in the first half and especially the first 15 minutes of the second half.
"I turned to the lad beside me and said 'this could be anything'. Armagh were 2-19 and I was thinking it could be 2-30.
"For Derry to avoid that and do what they did at the other end should give them enough without trying to patronise anybody."
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Associated Press
a day ago
- Associated Press
Irish Boxer Turned Pop Culture Star Ends 16 Year Hiatus, Returns Oct. 12 Against WBC's 18th-Ranked, Promoter Confirms
DUBLIN, IE / ACCESS Newswire / June 4, 2025 / Undefeated Irish boxer turned US Billboard Charting and multi-platinum artist Marc Mysterio (3-0, 2 KOs as pro) - his 2006-2009 BoxRec profile application pending - and 10-0-1 amateur standout under the late Gregory Leschishin of USA Boxing - tragically killed last month by a carjacker, according to Yahoo - resumes his world title quest with a clean bill of health after a 15+ year hiatus from the sport. Following a preliminary mutual understanding, Marc Mysterio is set to face the WBC's 18th-ranked Serhiy Radchenko (11-8-0, 5 KOs) on Oct. 12, 2025, in 'Irish Pride vs. Ukrainian Glory: Marc Mysterio v. Radchenko,' promoter Ville Ruutu of World Class Promotions (WCP) confirmed Wednesday. 'WBC Ukraine President Mykola Kovalchuk played a key role in facilitating this mutual understanding, as shown by his initial WhatsApp response, 'I think Radchenko should take the fight,' and we remain grateful for his support.' A 2009 basketball injury paused Mysterio's boxing, sparking a music career with hits alongside David Guetta, Avicii, Samantha Fox, Crash Test Dummies and Flo Rida, including 'The Dancefloor' which entered the U.S. Billboard charts, plus TMZ, Radar Online, and Perez Hilton buzz, Miami Herald and Boston Globe coverage, and 'Trailer Park Boys' fame culminating in 81,000,000+ streams from 15,000,000 listeners during September 2023-September 2024, resulting in over 1,250,000+ Fans and 15,000+ Super Fans on Amazon Music. Last year, he challenged Jake Paul to replace semi-retired opponent Ryan Bourland with himself in a February bout in Puerto Rico - backed by the IBA's former chairman who volunteered to sanction the proposed bout for their vacant super cruiserweight intercontinental championship - covered by the UK's Daily Express and The Irish Star, with Mysterio even posting read-receipts of his team's emails to Nakisa Biderian of MVP Promotions on his X account, @marc_mysterio. 'I'm back to finish what I started,' Mysterio declared. 'On Oct. 12, every Irish fan must join this pilgrimage - Ukrainians will rally for Radchenko. It's Irish pride versus Ukrainian glory!' 2010 WBC Trainer of the Year Gabriel Sarmiento has recently been working with Mysterio in the months prior to Coach Greg's death, and will travel to Ireland for Marc's pre-fight camp. 'Marc's skill reflects decades of work and has adapted well to my coaching,' Sarmiento said. 'He'll prove that he is both a machine and a legitimate contender - I believe Marc will dominate Radchenko.' Radchenko, a former WBC silver Bridgerweight champion, has faced undisputed light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol and WBC Bridgerweight champion Kevin Lerena in May 2025. 'I fight for Ukraine's glory - Slava Ukraini!' Radchenko has stated previously, translated from Ukrainian, reflecting his enduring inspiration. Jill Diamond, WBC secretary and WBC Cares global chairwoman, was quoted by the UK's Daily Express last year, 'Marc Mysterio is a force in music and boxing and, moreover, a friend of the WBC and WBC Cares. We support his efforts.' 'At present, I look forward to donating a portion of my purse to WBC Cares, as well as tickets to the event for local disabled children,' Mysterio notes, confirming his support of the charitable organization and youth. 'Speaking personally, not for the DFA or Irish government, Marc inspires Ireland by blending boxing, music, and philanthropy, overcoming countless obstacles after his injury and the recent loss of his lifelong coach - embodying the essence of Irish pride in my view,' said David Costello, an Irish diplomat and former head of mission to several countries. 'On May 26, at the request of WBC Ukraine President Mykola Kovalchuk, we sent a letter to WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman seeking sanctioning for the Mysterio-Radchenko bout as a ranked fight under WBC rules, including proof of a venue hold for Oct. 12 at one of Europe's top 10 indoor arenas by 2024 ticket sales, as required for sanctioning,' Ville Ruutu said. 'With Irish and Ukrainian fans competing for scarce tickets, broadcasters like Netflix, ESPN, ESPN+, DAZN and Sky Sports are vying for exclusive rights - possibly drawn by Marc's ESPN 'First Take' tie, when Stephen A. Smith chose 'Be The Truth' for the show in 2016, and Netflix 'Trailer Park Boys' connection. This will influence our decision, though not decisively. We'll prioritize the networks' coverage of this landmark bout from now to early July over financial incentives, aiming for the best long-term outcome for both fighters and the Bridgerweight division. Broadcast partners will be revealed at the mid-July press conference.' The official venue, pre-sale ticket date, broadcast partners and event sponsors unveil will occur at a mid-July press conference at which WCP anticipates, in light of both boxers statements, the live appearances of both warriors - as well as the official contract signing to formalize the bout - at a location, date and time to be announced in an early July press release. 'I'll fight Radchenko on Oct. 12, with or without WBC sanctioning as a ranked fight. Defeating the 18th-ranked boxer - who entered May 2025 as silver champion - basically guarantees me a top-25 WBC Bridgerweight world ranking - sanctioning should be a mere formality of that result! This is a professional 10-round fight, three-minute rounds, no matter what! I am also volunteering to enter the WBC Clean Program aimed at eradicating PEDs from the sport, required for top 15 rankings in WBC. Finally, I aim to pioneer Bridgerweight, like Holyfield did for cruiserweight, a division ripe with talent, but lacking prestige to casual fans before his charismatic championship reign that paved the road for guys like Usyk, a friend of Radchenko - It all starts Oct. 12 - I just wish that Coach Greg was still here to witness it,' Mysterio concludes. Those wishing to obtain media credentials for the press conference and/or interactive livestream should immediately provide their credentials to the media contact listed below. About Marc Mysterio Irish-Canadian undefeated boxer (3-0, 2 KOs) turned multi-platinum artist, with 81 million Amazon Music streams and 15 million listeners (September 2023-September 2024), now fully recovered from injury to resume his career, trained by Gabriel Sarmiento. Mysterio supports WBC Cares, One Fund Boston, and International Red Cross. About Serhiy Radchenko Ukrainian former WBC silver Bridgerweight champion, Radchenko supports WBC Cares and Ukraine's frontline defenders. About Gabriel Sarmiento Argentine trainer Gabriel Sarmiento, named 2010 WBC Trainer of the Year, guided Sergio Martinez to world championships in two weight classes: the WBC super welterweight title (2009-2010) and the unified WBC, WBO, Ring magazine, and lineal middleweight titles (2010-2014). He also trained Kiko Martinez, a two-division world champion, capturing the super bantamweight title (2013-2014) and featherweight title (2021-2022). In addition to Marc Mysterio, Sarmiento currently trains undefeated Polish cruiserweight phenom Michał Soczyński (10-0, 7 KOs). About World Class Promotions Irish-rooted World Class Promotions delivers premier boxing events, blending sport and philanthropy to support WBC Cares and elevate divisions like Bridgerweight (200-224 lbs), recognized by WBC and WBA. Media Contact Ville Ruutu World Class Promotions (WCP) [email protected] Resources -END- SOURCE: World Class Promotions press release
New York Times
a day ago
- New York Times
Mamardashvili v Alisson: Could there really be a battle to be Liverpool's No 1?
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Advertisement Last summer, sporting director Richard Hughes made the decision to keep three senior goalkeepers on board for that very reason and it paid dividends, with Jaros providing cover for Kelleher when he held the fort in November and December. Now if Alisson sustains an injury, the pressure will fall on Mamardashvili to fill in, a highly rated and experienced international, but still one who is untested at Premier League level. Liverpool signed him as a matter of urgency last summer. They had tracked him for months but, after his standout performances for Georgia at the European Championship last summer, the club felt they needed to act quickly with so many eyes watching. Interest in Alisson from Saudi Arabia also fuelled the need for succession planning, just in case any pursuit turned into a formal process. It's understood that interest has cooled, and Alisson's contract still has one year left to run plus another 12-month option in the club's favour. While Mamardashvili's form was not as impressive for Valencia this season as it had been for Georgia, he was part of a team struggling at the foot of the table for a large part of the season (they finished 12th in La Liga), which had a knock-on effect. Playing at Premier League champions Liverpool, a team who face fewer shots at goal and have more possession, will suit his game. It is why he's earmarked as the club's man for the future.
New York Times
2 days ago
- New York Times
Caoimhin Kelleher to Brentford
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