Second round stoppage gives McCole swift passage to semi-finals

Matthew McCole stopped Ryan Cullen to reach the senior 67kgs semi-finals at the 2022 IATBA Championships.

The Letterkenny Institute of Technology student is chasing his third Irish colleges title.

The Illies Golden Gloves welter was a commanding victor in his opening bout at The National Stadium.

The referee steed in to call a half in the second round with McCole well on top of things.

In 2020, McCole was the 69kgs champion and in 2018 he took a colleges 64kgs crown while boxing for his native Dungloe ABC.

McCole will face Aodhan Byrne in a semi-final on Sunday.

LyIT’s Shauna Blaney a native of Navan, will contest the final of the senior 60kgs class next weekend. Blaney, a sister of Jason Quigley’s former amateur opponent Chris, will take on the winner of Sunday’s semi-final between Isabella Hughes and Kelly McLaughlin.

Bryan McNamee, another LyIT student, who is now with Raphoe ABC, is gearing up for a final against Jack McHugh from The Garda College.

LyIT’s Brenda Collins has a guaranteed title, the Dunree Boxing Club fighter taking a walkover in the youth 60kgs class while three-time European medalist Leah Gallen had to withdraw.