CONLAN Sport and Hammer Boxing brought boxing back to the Waterfront Hall on Friday with a huge card featuring eight highly competitive fights featuring a wealth of local boxing talent.
Kicking off the night Canadian Tiana Schroeder secured a points victory over Antonella Shirley Molina of Argentina to go 6-0 as a professional.
West Belfast’s Oisín Dunlop was only added to the card in early February but stepped up and impressed with a second round K-O over England’s George Rogers. The 18-year-old had his debut in November last year and continues to go from strength to strength under the tutelage of his dad Francis Dunlop and uncle Tony Dunlop along with Connor Wright and Ciaran McCarthy at Belfast’s Kronk Gym. After a devastating performance Oisín ‘The Diamond’ wasted no time in jumping onto the ropes in celebration and acknowledgement of his cheering support.
Newry’s Cathal Jennings defeated Peruvian Reno Reyes in another patient performance. Jennings really found his groove in the second round landing a big right hand and uppercut. In the fourth Jennings landed a heavy left hand to the body and followed up with a left hook that visibly hurt his opponent. Despite maybe sensing an opportunity to finish the fight Jennings remained disciplined and got the job done. He deservedly got the decision and remains undefeated in four professional bouts.
Enniskillen’s Rhys Owens defeated Mexican Yahir Alexander Solorio Morales in a four round lightweight contest. In only his third professional fight he looked confident and kept his composure throughout to get the decision. The Fermanagh man had success in targeting the body of the Mexican who dropped his hands and left himself open to head shots. Rhys moves to 3-0 and says he is ready to go again and wants six or eight round fights.
Coleraine’s Matty Boreland moved to 7-0 as a professional in an impressive display beating Tanzania’s Charles Tondo in six rounds. Boreland’s last outing was six months ago in Windsor Park where he came through a war to claim the Irish Junior featherweight title. He showed no signs of ring rust working tirelessly on the inside, walking his man down and having success in the corners as he worked through his opponent's tight defence for a deserved victory.
Fan favourite Lex Weston overcame Liverpool’s Conor Goulding in a six round middleweight contest. The Waterfront Hall became audibly louder upon his entrance and he did not disappoint the energetic crowd as he went about his work in the opening rounds, moving effectively in and out of range and picking his shots wisely. The North Down man dropped his opponent in the closing seconds of the fourth with a huge right hand and probably could have ended the fight early if not for the bell. He moves to 3-0 as a professional.
West Belfast’s Jack O’Neill came through a closely fought six round contest with England’s Rickey Starkey. After close opening rounds O’Neill was thrown to the canvas in the fourth round much to the annoyance of the watching crowd. Both men were visibly tired in the closing rounds spending much of the sixth standing mid ring trading shots to the body. With one minute left in the bout O’Neill nearly forced his opponent through the ropes with a flurry of shots but Starkey managed to regroup and get to the bell. Wacko O’Neill deservedly got the decision and remains undefeated as a professional.
In the co-main event Castlewellan’s Donagh Keary moved to 5-1 in a hard fought battle over England’s Jack Pollard. Not even one year after his debut in New York’s Madison Square Garden ‘The Kid’ has had a busy 2025 and continues to progress well under coach Ryan Burnett. He looked energetic throughout, putting together combinations deep into the sixth and final round as he looked to force a stoppage.
The main event saw a return to the ring for Belfast’s Paddy Gallagher who hasn’t fought since 2019. The former Celtic welterweight champion started very brightly looking to catch his opponent, Iranian’s Bahadur Karami, off guard. Despite slipping to the canvas in the third round Gallagher looked in control throughout and got the points victory to get him back to winning ways. A good four rounds banked for the 36-year-old who will be keen to get back in the ring as soon as possible and build on his 17-6 record.
The event was a huge success which saw boxing return to the Waterfront Hall for the first time in a decade. There are two events planned for 2026 as part of the new partnership with Conlan Sports and Hammer Boxing.
