LIONHEARTS CRASH OUT OF WSB

Joe Ward’s and John Joe Nevin’s British Lionhearts crashed out of the World Series of Boxing Team Championships following a shock 5-0 defeat to Conrad Cummings’ Mexico Guerreros in the high-altitude of Mexico City in the early hours of this morning.

Ward and Nevin both won in the first-leg of the quarter-final in London last weekend to help the Lionhearts command a 4-1 lead. Cummings claimed the only victory for the visitors in York Hall.

However, the Guerreros bounced back from that reversal to claim the second leg 5-0 at the Poro Polanco venue last night  to book their tickets-into the last-four on a 6-4 aggregate win.

Neither Cummings, Nevin or Ward were in action in Mexico City. The Guerreros will now meet Eric Donovan’s Astana Arlans of Kazakhstan in the semi-finals.

The Arlans beat the Argentina Condors yesterday to advance. Donovan was originally named in Arlans side for the Condors match but had to withdraw because of an injury.

Elsewhere in the WSB, Willie McLaughlin’s Milano Thunder, the defending champions, will be hot favourites to progress from tonight’s semi-final with the Poland Huzzars in Italy. Thunder hold a 4-1 advantage from the first leg.

The Ukraine Ottamans and the Baku Fires of Azerbaijan clash in the corresponding quarter-final.

Cummings, who boxes out of the Holy Trinity BC in Belfast, and McLaughlin, Illies GG Donegal, and Donovan, St Michael’s Athy, are now the only Irish boxers left in the WSB.

By Bernard O’Neill