Ray Moylette slams IABA after box-off win

Moylette beats the system


Islandeady boxer slams IABA after box-off win

Edwin McGreal

EUROPEAN Senior boxing champion Ray Moylette has hit out at the Irish Amateur Boxing Association after a dramatic victory in last Friday’s World Championship ‘box-off’ against Ross Hickey in the National Stadium, Dublin.
Despite his European title win in June, and being rated sixth in the world after new rankings were issued last week, the St Anne’s boxer was not assured of a place on the plane to the World Championships later this month, the primary qualifier for the London Olympics.
The Islandeady pugilist was forced to ‘box-off’ against Irish champion Hickey and defeat would have all but ended his Olympic dream.
“When I won the European Championships I thought I was going to be on the plane to the World Championships,” he told The Mayo News minutes after being declared the winner on Friday night.
“But a lot of people turned on us who we thought might be so-called ‘allies’. They turned against us. Everyone said to me, ‘prove them wrong’.
“I proved my fans right, I didn’t prove anyone wrong,” added the 22 years-old. “The people who followed me, I proved them right, that’s all I did. I’m delighted to come away with the win, the hard work paid off.”
There were worries in the lead-up to the fight about whether Moylette was going to be able to overcome Hickey. The Grangecon fighter is a formidable opponent at the best of times but the Mayo boxer went into the contest somewhat cold, having to lose five kilograms in ten days. He also felt his injured right hand was only at ‘30%’.
“It was tough because I wasn’t expecting to have to make the weight and I only heard I would have to box-off ten days ago,“ said Moylette.
“I told anyone who asked me that I was sound. I didn’t want to let anyone down. If I was saying that my hand was sore all week, and I came up here and lost, then I’d have an excuse. But I didn’t want any excuse. I did my best and it was enough to win.”