All Ireland title for Oughterard’s Merrigan
Pictured are: Aidan Deering from sponsors, Boat Inn, Oughterard; Pete Foley, (Galway coach); Bryan Merrigan, the new All Ireland K-1 champ; referee Mick Burke (Dublin); opponent Tomas Trajkovski (Kilkenny); and Paul Murphy (Kilkenny coach).
Galway’s Bryan Merrigan has become the first man to capture an IKF-sanctioned All Ireland K-1 title.
The Oughterard fighter defeated Tomas Trajkovski from the Top Pro Gym in Kilkenny at a kickboxing tournament in the Menlo Park Hotel on Saturday evening, hosted by the Galway Black Dragon Club.
The fight, which went the distance, proved a gruelling encounter that left both men battered and bruised, but it was Merrigan who was declared a unanimous winner after the five round battle (49-45, 49-45, 49-47).
Merrigan now has the distinction of holding two versions of the IKF super middleweight title concurrently, having won the international rules version earlier this year by first round stoppage.
Merrigan’s All Ireland fight was the feature fight on a programme of 11 bouts which featured four different rule styles and attracted fighters from all corners of the country.
Results: Keith Hamilton, Athlone defeated Dylan Casey, Galway, by TKO in round two; Feidhlim Dunne, Galway, defeated Adam Pieczarka, Dublin, by TKO in round one; Jason Mannion, Galway, defeated Andrew Grogan, Athlone, by decision; Valerie Hamilton, Galway and Christina McMahon, Monaghan, fought to a draw in an exibition match under conventional boxing rules; Shane Creaven, Galway defeated Keith Shelly, Dublin, by decision; James Ward, Galway, defeated Alan Mooreby knockout in the second round; Martin Murray, Galway, and Martin Hickey fought to a majority draw; Charlie Ward, Galway, defeated Carle Dimycia, Limerick, by TKO in round two; Steven Murphy, Galway, defeated Martin Ward by decision; Gary Manogue, Galway defeated Damian Darker, Dublin, by TKO in round four.
