February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Ravaged by the flu going into his scheduled quarterfinal match at Brooklyn’s Red Hook Police Athletic League, O’Regan arrived at the hall haggard but willing to fight only to discover that he’d received a bye into the semifinals on March 22 in Long Island.
“I prayed to St. Patrick and my prayers were answered,” O’Regan said after hearing the news in the locker room. “It’s the first time I’ve ever had a bye. I’m happy. I had the flu last two days.”
The Limerick-born amateur, who failed in two previous attempts to get past the quarterfinals, was determined to break the jinx this year. He’d sparred four days in a row before he caught the bug.
“The flu started kicking in from Tuesday, but it wasn’t going to stop me. I just took a day off from training,” he said.
A points winner over Joseph Anderson in his first bout in the 178-pound open division three weeks ago, O’Regan will meet either the lanky Ronald Newbold (Kingsway Gym), Abdellah Smith (New Bed Stuy Club) or William Rosinsky (Starret City), in the semis at St. Catherine’s Church in Franklin Square, L.I. The three men also advanced without throwing a punch.
“It doesn’t matter who I fight, I’ll be ready,” the Yonkers resident replied when asked if he had a preferred opponent.
Of the three, the 29-year-old O’Regan holds a points victory over Rosinsky from last year’s 165-pound novice competition in the Gloves.
However, Rosinsky, who’s 20 and a Queens College junior majoring in physical education, has improved vastly in the 13 months since, to the point that he’s now ranked nationally. He was the National PAL losing finalist at 178 pounds last October and is scheduled to interrupt his Golden Gloves quest next week to compete in the U.S. National Amateur Championships in Colorado.
He modestly dismissed notions that he was the Gloves favorite.
“I don’t look at it that way. I know that everyone’s here to fight,” said Rosinsky, who claims Irish blood on his father’s side.
Newbold, at 6-foot-4 the tallest of the four survivors, threw modesty to the winds and proclaimed himself the man to beat.
“I think I’ll win. I’ve got the height and reach and it doesn’t matter who I fight,” said the 23-year-old Bronx resident.
Newbold’s confidence is understandable. He is trained by his famously named uncle, Eliot Ness, and in three years as an amateur has won titles at 178 pounds in the Golden Gloves (2003 novice class), the Empire State Games (2003), and New York Metros (2002).
ON THE ROPES
Irish Ropes Gym entrants Robert Rucker and Rashad Johnson, with John Duddy co-trainer Karl LeShore in their corner, both came up short in the Golden Gloves at Red Hook PAL.
Rucker lost a three-round decision to Webster PAL’s Ronney Vargas in the 132-pound novice class, while Johnson was bested by Denis Douglin of Gleason’s Gym in the 152-pound novice division.
PASCHAL TIME
Last May, Paschal Collins went six rounds with older brother Steve in an exhibition match at a Dublin hotel that was the Celtic Warrior’s first ring appearance since he retired as a two-time world champion in 1997.
“It was a bloody war,” the younger Collins remembers. It also convinced Paschal, then 32 and five years removed from his last pro fight, to return to the United States and continue his career.
Collins (13-2, 14 KOs) completes his dogged comeback at the Dorchester Armory in Dorchester, Mass., this Friday night, when he’ll feature in a 10-round super middleweight contest.
He’s billed to fight Bobby McAndrews (2-4, 2 KOs), a 31-year-old Worcester pug, but Collins said last Saturday that the opponent was likely to change since he’d heard McAndrews was suspended.
“I’ve been back in America since last June, getting ready to fight, but nothing’s been happening,” Collins said. “I’ve actually been pretty active and tried to come back earlier.”
But a succession of injuries and cuts suffered in the gym conspired to keep Collins out until now.
On the same card promoted by Boston Irishmen Danny Kelly and Marty Ward, Galway middleweight Martin Thornton meets Khalif Shabazz again, five months after stopping the 11-14 journeyman in five heats last October.
CLANCY FOES NAMED
The lineup for the March 18 “Night of the Irish” ESPN2 show at Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., is now complete with the confirmation of opponents for County Clare siblings James and Mark Clancy.
James (3-0, 1 KO) will meet Florida heavyweight Harold Rodriguez, whose ledger is listed as 5-11 by Boxrec.com, while Mark, the young brother, will take on Minnesota’s Joe Lorenzi, 0-2-1, according to Boxrec.
Irish heavyweight champ and IBC titlist Kevin McBride will headline the show — he faces Kevin Monity over 10 rounds — with Queens’ John Duddy (8-0, 8 KOs) matched against Leonard Pierre (16-0, 11 KOs) in a battle of undefeated middleweights.