The first step towards a historic first Irish feminine title battle might be taken this spring.
Irish-boxing.com understands each Cheyanne O’Neill and Katelynn Phelan will finish their sabbatical from the ring in March and that it’s doubtless each will populate the identical battle card.
It’s additionally understood the professional fighter’s managers have intentionally moved to position them on the identical card to plant an Irish title seed.
If their Irish title plan does come to fruition it might imply each fighters would make historical past as rivals of the first-ever skilled feminine Irish title battle.
It might even be an eagerly anticipated all-Irish conflict in its personal proper, two former amateurs of observe assembly in a battle nearly assured to entertain.
An Irish title battle between the pair is one thing that has already been hinted at by Phelan’s supervisor Ian Gaughran.
“Clearly changing into the first-ever girls’s Irish champion could be an apparent goal we are going to take a look at and, as she is ranked quantity 11 within the WBC rankings, there are going to be huge alternatives for her,” he advised Irish-boxing.com.
Robbie Flynn, O’Neill’s supervisor revealed the European Youth medal winner’s willingness to battle for titles when talking to Irish-boxing.com earlier than she turned over.
“We’ll be in search of Cheyanne to problem for her first title hopefully in three fights time and on the massive stage. I’d love Cheyanne to go as traditional-a-route as potential beginning with the BUI Celtic title to shut out the yr.”
Each need to return to the ring, show themselves Irish title-worthy to the Boxing Union of Eire and discover a weight to satisfy at – but it surely’s understood these processes are underway.
O’Neill hasn’t made a hoop look since April of final yr. The ‘made for the professionals’ welterweight was held to a draw on her debut.
It wasn’t the worst end result, particularly contemplating she hadn’t felt aggressive canvas below her ft for nigh on 5 years, fought over six for the primary time ever, and was in towards Lithuanian Vaida Masiokaite, a fighter with a level in irritating opponents.
Nonetheless, she can be eager to get a primary win when she returns within the spring and can want each rounds and victories to maneuver into the Irish title image.
It regarded like Lillywhite lift-off for Kildare’s Phelan when she stopped Jessica Shadko to choose up the WBC world youth title in Germany within the February of 2020. Nonetheless, she has fought simply as soon as since.
The St Brigid’s graduate is now again coaching below Daniel Anderson and is plotting an impactful return below Gaughran’s steerage.