February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
The 30-year-old Limerick transplant heads a small Irish contingent in the four-month-long tournament, now in its 79th year, which starts January 25. O’Regan will be fighting in the colors of the Bronx-based Jerome Boxing Club, which has also entered novices Ronan Fagan, a middleweight out of Westmeath, and Davey Kelly, a Tyrone-born light middleweight.
Other Irish fighters in the New York Gloves, widely touted as the largest, oldest and most prestigious amateur competition in the United States, include Co. Waterford’s Tomas Maher, who’ll also be debuting in the light middleweight novice division, and light heavyweight upstart Sean Monaghan of Long Beach, L.I.
O’Regan was scheduled to undergo his Gloves-sanctioned medicals on Tuesday. He’s been nursing a sore left wrist since moving up to the heavyweight division for a pair of fights a few months ago.
He beat 2005 Gloves losing finalist Sal Tante in a club show in the Bronx and then wound up on the short end of a decision against Gloves champion Guillermo Garcia, who outweighed O’Regan by over 20 pounds.
“I thought I won the fight. It was a close one and I injured my wrist,” he said.
He saw two doctors in New York before a specialist in Ireland told him that his “tendons were locked in the wrist.”
“He massaged them to release them and suggested that I take two weeks off,” said O’Regan.
However, he resumed sparring on his return to New York, preventing it from healing completely.
Down to the light heavyweight division again, the Yonkers carpenter is unlikely to get his latest Gloves campaign underway until mid-February and hopes that will give the hand enough time to heal.
O’Regan is the most experienced Irish amateur boxer in the Tri-state area. A former footballer renowned for his toughness and pressure in the ring, he was a Gloves quarterfinalist in 2002 and 2004, before reaching the final on his third try, in 2005. He missed the 2003 tournament because of injury.
O’Regan’s old foe, Will Rosinsky, the great-grandson of an Irish immigrant from Six Mile Bridge, Co. Clare, has confirmed that he’ll defend his 178-pound Gloves title.
FIRST TIMERS
Jerome B.C. trainer Edwin Martinez, the architect of O’Regan’s near-success last year, is optimistic that his two new Irish additions will also aquaint themselves well in the Golden Gloves.
He spoke highly of Kelly, a six-foot-two, 152-pounder saying: “He’s pretty good. He hasn’t fought since he came to the United States over two years ago because he didn’t know where to go. But now he’s settled.”
“I should be ok,” said Kelly.
A Yonkers carpenter like O’Regan, the 23 year-old has Irish company in the light middleweight novice class in the shape of Maher, 25, who’ll be representing the Manhattan-based Kingsway B.C.
Of Fagan, Martinez said: “It’s the first time he’s going to box at all, but like all Irish guys he has a lot of heart, good conditioning and he is learning.”
Fagan, who’s 26 and works an excavator in the Bronx, fancies his chances in the 165-pound class.
“I should do good,” he remarked.
McLOUGHLIN’S BRIGADE
Monaghan, a novice 178-pounder, is one of eight entrants from Eddie McLoughlin’s Irish Ropes Gym, whose star members are professionals John Duddy and James Moore.
“The good thing that will stand for him is that he’s as fit as boots,” McLoughlin complimented the 21-year-old. “He joined the gym last year and he’s improved immensely.”
McLoughlin’s other entrants, all novices as well, are not Irish.