South Belfast’s Colm Murphy delivered a confident performance on home soil, stopping Tanzania’s African champion Saleh Kassim Abdalla to claim the vacant Commonwealth Featherweight Title at The Mill in Newtownabbey. The victory extends Murphy’s unbeaten record to 16-0 and firmly establishes him as one of Ireland’s leading boxing talents.
The Commonwealth triumph propels the 26-year-old into the top 15 of the world rankings across all four major governing bodies, marking a significant breakthrough on the global stage. It also sets up a blockbuster all-Ireland showdown, with Murphy now scheduled to step up to super-featherweight to face Dublin’s Jono Carroll for the vacant IBO World Super Featherweight Championship at the 3Arena on 14 March.
Murphy was in control for much of the contest against Kassim, who started brightly by pressing forward and throwing combinations. However, Murphy quickly asserted himself, taking centre ring and using a sharp jab to disrupt Kassim’s attempts to fight on the inside.
While Kassim did land occasional right hands, Murphy absorbed the shots well and remained composed. A solid left from the Tanzanian in the fourth round briefly caught Murphy’s attention, but the Belfast fighter responded emphatically, leaving his opponent unsteady and forced to hold on.
The fight swung decisively in Murphy’s favour as Kassim was deducted a point in the fifth round for use of the head. Sensing the momentum, Murphy increased the pressure in the sixth, unleashing combinations against a visibly tiring challenger. Kassim’s corner appeared close to stopping the bout midway through the round, a clear sign of the punishment being taken.
Ultimately, the decision was made at the end of the sixth round, with Kassim withdrawn due to a hand injury. By that point, the outcome seemed inevitable, with Murphy firmly in command.
The victory makes Murphy the first Commonwealth featherweight champion from the North of Ireland since Billy ‘Spider’ Kelly in the 1950s, a historic achievement that underlines his rise. Attention now turns to March where Murphy will look to continue his unbeaten run and claim IBO world honours on one of the biggest stages in Irish boxing.
