23.02.05 – WBU World Welterweight Champion Eamonn Magee aims to defy his critics by successfully defending his title against the tough Dane Allan Vester on Friday 18 March at the Kings Hall in Belfast. The tough Ardoyne man was the victim of a vicious street assault that left him hospitalised and unable to walk for months and many felt that his career would be over due to severity of his injuries.
But Magee is a tough man inside and outside of the ring and he displayed the same fighting heart in his rehabilitation programme to get him back to full fight-fitness for his comeback.
Magee said, “It’s great to get back into ring and I want to prove to everyone that Eamonn Magee is back and that nothing will keep a fighting man like me down,”
“I am dedicating this fight to the all the doctors and nurses at the Royal Victoria Hospital and Ulster Hospital Dundonald who gave me such great care and attention and were it not for them I would not be fighting again,”
“There is a lot of anger inside me at the moment and I will be releasing it on poor Vester. He’s a tough fighter to face at the best of times but I ready to go and I’m certain I will retain my title.”
Vester will not be an easy fight for Magee. The 28-year-old from Aarhus is a former two-time IBF Intercontinental light-welterweight champion and has challenged Zab Judah for the IBF World title and Gianluca Branco for the European crown.
Despite Magee’s injuries Vester has promised to show no mercy.
“I know that Magee is a strong fighter but we will see how much he has left when we fight. I am coming to Belfast to win nothing else. I have the better boxing skills and will take Magee to school,” said Vester.
Magee’s title defence against Vester features as chief support on a fantastic fight card that signals the return of big-time boxing to Belfast. The headline attraction sees Welshman Joe Calzaghe take on Brian Magee in an explosive super-middleweight clash.
A quality-packed undercard features Belfast best young prospects: Former British Welterweight Champion Neil Sinclair, super-featherweight Kevin O’Hara, heavyweight Martin Rogan, welterweight’s Paul McClosky and Stephen Hauglan and lightweight Andrew Murray.
Tickets for Face Off, priced at £30, £50, £75, £100 and £125, are available from the Sports Network Box Office on 0870 906 3839, or Ticket Master (UK) on 0870 243 4455 or (ROI) 0818 719 300 or online at www.frankwarren.tv