Helenius completes sparring, ready for Liakhovich fight on August 27; Menard defeats Laryea

Robert Helenius (15-0, 10 KOs) has wrapped up the sparring ahead of next Saturday´s World Boxing Association (WBA)/World Boxing Organization (WBO) Intercontinental Heavyweight Title fight against Siarhei Liakhovich (25-3, 16 KOs) in Erfurt, Germany. After dusting Lamon Brewster and Sam Peter, the Nordic Nightmare is eager to clinch the next prominent scalp. “The sparring has gone very well,” Helenius said. “I am in great shape and I am ready for Liakhovich. He is a very accomplished fighter who boasts a great deal of experience, but I have also been in the ring with former champions. The fights against Peter and Brewster have given me a lot of confidence. I am eager to notch another important victory on Saturday night.”

Together with coach Ulli Wegner, who just celebrated his 40th coaching anniversary, Helenius has been training in Zinnowitz, Usedom, a small island in the Baltic Sea. “The conditions have been perfect. We now travel to Erfurt on Monday to get ready for the big fight,” Helenius added.

In the main event of the night, Alexander Povetkin and Ruslan Chagaev collide for the vacant WBA Heavyweight Title.

Mason Menard UBO World Champion, Stops Joseph Laryea!

Rayne, Louisiana’s Mason Menard won the biggest victory of his career Friday night (8.19) at the Cypress Bayou Casino in Charenton, as he scored a fourth round technical knockout victory over battle tested Ghanaian Joseph Laryea to win the vacant Universal Boxing Organization™ World Lightweight title.

On a show promoted by Boxncar Promotions in cooperation with Big Punch Promotions, Menard improved his professional record to 17-1 (13), while former WBO Inter-Continental Champion Laryea dropped to 14-6 (11).

In his last bout prior to facing Menard, Laryea lost by TKO 7 in a WBO World title fight to Ricky Burns in Scotland, so getting the job done quicker is a significant achievement by the 22-year-old from Rayne.

Menard fought in his typical all-action pressure style, and took the fight to Laryea from the start, landing with quick combinations to body and head. Laryea tried to make it his fight by keeping his distance and using his range to outbox Menard from a distance, but Menard often managed to get under his opponents straight punches to land his shots.

With a near sellout crowd cheering him on, Menard fought an excellent fight and did a nice job of following the game plan laid out by trainer and manager Chad Broussard. Menard clearly landed the more telling blows, but Laryea was always dangerous and his significant power in both hands kept things interesting even as the local favorite was outworking the African visitor.

But as early as the third round it looked like it would be a long night for Laryea, and he was having a hard time keeping his opponent at bay. Menard continued to shift from body to head with lightning quick combinations, and Laryea didn’t seem to have any answers for the speed.

After four rounds of sharing the ring with Mason Menard, Joseph Laryea’s corner informed the referee of a hand injury which forced him to retire on his stool, As the fanatical crowd went wild, Mason Menard had realized his childhood dream of becoming World Champion and sends a statement to the boxing world. He has arrived!

IRISH AMATEUR BOXING ASSOCIATION

Following a meeting at the National Stadium in Dublin today the Boxing Council of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association named their Elite squad for the upcoming AIBA World Senior Championships and Olympic qualifiers in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Paddy Barnes, Michael Conlon, John Joe Nevin, David Oliver Joyce, Roy Sheehan, Darren O’Neill, Joe Ward, Ken Egan and Con Sheehan have been named in on the Irish team for Baku.

Ray Moylette, the current European Elite champion, and Ross Hickey, the current Irish Elite champion, will meet in a box-off on Friday September 2nd to decide the light-welterweight position.

Paddy Barnes and Joe Ward – who between them have won two gold medals at the 2010 and 2011 European Elite Championships – will wear the Irish light-flyweight and light-heavyweight vests in Baku.

Olympic silver medalist and three-time European Union champion Ken Egan and 2009 European Union gold medalist Con Sheehan have been selected at heavyweight and super-heavyweight.

Bantamweight John Joe Nevin, a bronze medal winner at the 2009 AIBA World Senior Championships, 2009 European European Union champion and 2010 European Elite Championships silver medalist Darren O’Neill, and 2009 European Union champion David Oliver Joyce have also been named in the squad.

Belfast’s Michael Conlon will compete at flyweight in Baku, while 2007 European Union champion Roy Sheehan will carry Ireland’s welterweight hopes at the first major qualifier for the 30th Olympiad.

Five boxers have already qualified for the 2012 Olympics through the World Series of Boxing Individual Championships.

There will be one final Olympic qualifier for European boxers at a venue to be confirmed next April.

The preliminary rounds of 2011 AIBA World Championships and Olympic qualifiers begin in Baku on September 26th.

The Irish Elite squad are currently in training camp in Assisi, Italy.

Meanwhile, it was confirmed following today’s Boxing Council meeting that Michael O’Reilly, of the Portlaoise BC, will line out for Ireland at welterweight at the 2011 European Youth Championships which begin on Monday at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin.

Irish Squad for 2011 AIBA World Senior Championships and Olympic qualifiers Baku, Azerbaijan September22nd/October10th

49Kg – Light-flyweight): Paddy Barnes (Holy Family GG, Belfast)
52Kg – Flyweight): Michael Conlon (St John Bosco, Belfast)
56Kg – Bantamweight): John Joe Nevin (Cavan)
60Kg – Lightweight): David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy, Kildare)
64Kg – Light-welterweight): To Be Decided
69Kg – Welterweight): Roy Sheehan (St Michael’s Athy, Kildare)
75Kg – Middleweight): Darren O’Neill (Paulstown, Kilkenny)
81Kg – Light-heavyweight): Joe Ward (Moate, Westmeath)
91Kg – Heavyweight): Ken Egan (Neilstown, Dublin)
91+Kg – Super-heavyweight): Con Sheehan (Clonmel, Tipperary)

Box -Off for Light-welterweight position September 2nd

64Kg: Ray Moylette (St Anne’s, Mayo) v Ross Hickey (Grangecon, Wicklow)