REA’S ODDS TUMBLE AS BETFAIR PRIZEFIGHTER BELL DRAWS CLOSE

Joe all the rage with punters as King’s Hall showdown approaches

Bookies are running scared of Joe Rea in the all-Irish Betfair Prizefighter Middleweights on Saturday night live on Sky Sports 1HD.

Rea says that a strict training regime under new trainer Kevin Maree has him in the best shape of his life, sparring with the likes of Kenny Anderson, Tony Bellew and Joe Selkirk as he bids to claim the title in 24^th edition of Matchroom Sport’s eight man, one night tournament.

The 28 year old faces Simon O’Donnell in the fourth quarter final in the King’s Hall in Belfast and he was as big as 25/1 with some bookmakers and punters piled into him to win the event, taking his price down closer to the 5/2 he started at with official sponsors Betfair.

“My price is going to keep falling because I’ve got a lot of fans who believe in me,” said Rea. “My training has been great, teaming up with Kevin Maree has changed everything and it’s a new Joe Rea in the King’s Hall on Saturday night.

“I haven’t looked at the betting much really as I’ve been focussing on the job in hand, but people told me that I was a big price and I will be going out there to make some people a nice few quid, as I am here to win this.”

The winner of Rea and O’Donnell will face either Darren Cruise or JJ McDonagh in the second semi final, with bookies’ favourite Eamonn O’Kane kicking off the night against Anthony Fitzgerald in the opening quarter final, for the right to face either Ciaran Healy or Ryan Greene in the first semi final.

On the stacked bill in Belfast, Paul McCloskey faces ‘Chop Chop’ DeMarcus Corley after the all-Irish Betfair Prizefighter Middleweights in a 12 round welterweight clash as Dudey aims to get back into World title contention, and former British featherweight champion Martin Lindsay kicks off the night against Mickey Coveney.

Outright odds with Betfair (correct at 5pm):

Eamonn O’Kane 11/8

Anthony Fitzgerald 5/1

JJ McDonagh 5/1

Joe Rea 13/2

Simon O’Donnell 7/1

Ryan Greene 12/1

Darren Cruise 33/1

Ciaran Healy 66/1

Any other fighter 29/1

Fight betting:

QF1: Eamonn O’Kane 8/13 v Anthony Fitzgerald 7/5

QF2: Ciaran Healy 3/1 v Ryan Greene 1/3

QF3: Darren Cruise 15/8 v JJ McDonagh 40/85

QF4: Simon O’Donnell evens v Joe Rea 4/5

GIANT DAY FOR THE ALL-IRISH BETFAIR PRIZEFIGHTERS

Foes face up at the Giant’s Causeway – Healy in the line-up

The eight fighters in the all-Irish Betfair Prizefighter Middleweights came face-to-face at the stunning surroundings of the world famous Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland for the Sky Sports promotional shoot today (April 24).

In under two weeks time the King’s Hall in Belfast will be packed to the rafters as they fight for the title and £32,000 winner’s cheque in the 24^th edition of Matchroom Sport’s eight man, one night event – and they were joined by Dungiven’s light welterweight star Paul McCloskey on a sunny day at the iconic rocks looking out on the Atlantic Ocean.

There was a new face in the line-up as former two-weight Irish champion Ciaran Healy stepped up from being a reserve to take Mark Heffron’s spot after he withdrew through injury. Healy admits this is a final shot at glory as he winds down his career, and will give everything he has get his hands on the trophy.

“This is my last year in boxing so I’m giving it one million per cent,” said Healy. “I’m just going to go in there and fight like mad. This is the last chance saloon for me, I’m definitely finishing this year.

“To go on and fight for British or Commonwealth titles would be the main incentive – everyone who has come out of Prizefighter as winners have gone on to have fights like that, and I would say it’s probably the most open Prizefighter because there’s a lot of quality and big-hitters in it, so I have a great chance to cause an upset.”

The 37 year old joins a great mix of fighters on the night as Commonwealth gold medallist Eamonn O’Kane, Irish super middleweight champion JJ McDonagh, former champ Anthony Fitzgerald, former Prizefighter entrant Joe Rea, unbeaten Lurgan man Ryan Greene, ‘Slick Fightin’ Irish’ Simon O’Donnell and Roscommon’s Darren Cruise.

It’s a huge night in the career of McCloskey too as he faces former World champion ‘Chop Chop’ DeMarcus Corley, with Dudey looking to build on his gutsy win over Breidis Prescott and land a World title shot later in 2012.

The night begins with exciting young flyweight Jamie Conlan becomes the latest Prizefighter Prospect before the ever-popular former British featherweight champion Martin Lindsay continues his journey back to title contention.

Tickets priced at £30 (unreserved), £40 (reserved balcony or unreserved floor), £60 (outer-ringside) and £100 (ringside) are available from Ticketmaster on 0844 277 4455 – UK/Northern Ireland customers, 0818 719 300 – Republic of Ireland customers and at www.ticketmaster.ie

VIP packages priced £150 are available from Matchroom Sport on 01277 359900 and at www.matchroomboxing.com

Paul McCloskey’s fans can also buy their tickets at the prices above from Eurospar Dungiven and any EuroXchange outlet.

O’KANE: BIG NIGHT EXPERIENCE GIVES ME EDGE IN BETFAIR PRIZEFIGHTER

Dungiven ace says he’s comfortable on the big stage – Heffron out

Eamonn O’Kane believes fighting on the Kell Brook vs. Matthew Hatton undercard was the perfect preparation for his Betfair Prizefighter all-Irish Middleweights appearance at King’s Hall in Belfast on May 5, live on Sky Sports.

The Dungiven man beat local boy Wayne Reed at the Motorpoint Arena Sheffield on St. Patrick’s Day in his fourth professional bout. The 30 year old put Reed down in the fifth on the way to an impressive 60-53 points win in their six rounder and now has his sights set firmly on the Betfair Prizefighter trophy and the £32,000 winner’s cheque – and the big fights and title shots that victory would bring.

“The night in Sheffield was a great night, I hadn’t fought since September so it was nice to blow the cobwebs out before Prizefighter,” O’Kane said. “It was great to be on such a massive card. It was the biggest crowd I’ve fought in front of. I’ve fought in the Odyssey Arena and that was seven or eight thousand, this was near enough 10,000 in Sheffield. It was fantastic.”

“It was my fourth professional fight and it started slowly, but then I started to find him and I caught him with some good shots and had him down in the fifth,” said O’Kane. “I was happy with the power I was showing. He was a game opponent and I like people who come to fight, so in the end it was an interesting fight.
“He told me afterwards that he was struggling and under pressure in there so to make up for it he was winding me up and I got caught up in it. I shouldn’t have, I should’ve just boxed. But you’re learning all the time and it while it wasn’t a perfect performance, it was a good one and a win so I was happy with it.”
O’Kane had extremely successful amateur career, the highlight being his Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2010, and he thinks that experience will give him the edge in the Kings Hall.

“All of my boxing career, both as an amateur and a professional, everything I’ve learned, especially from that night in Sheffield, will help me in Prizefighter,” said O’Kane. “When I won gold I knew it was live on TV and the stadium was full – all those experiences are going to help me to do well on May 5.

“There’s going to be hundreds of thousands of people watching it on Sky and internationally, and the King’s Hall will be packed out with people screaming and shouting for different guys. It’s going to be amazing on the
night. Hopefully most of them will be screaming for me, but it will be a great night either way.”

O’Kane is joined in the 24th edition of Matchroom Sport’s eight-man, one night tournament by Anthony Fitzgerald, Joe Rea, JJ McDonagh, Simon O’Donnell, Ryan Greene and Darren Cruise, with the final name to be added in the next 24 hours after Mark Heffron pulled out with a hand injury.

Before the action gets underway there are two fights with exciting young flyweight Jamie Conlan becomes the latest Prizefighter Prospect and the ever-popular former British featherweight champion Martin Lindsay continues his journey back to title contention.

The Betfair Prizefighter all-Irish Middleweights is followed by a huge fight in the career of Paul McCloskey as he takes on former World champion ‘Chop Chop’ DeMarcus Corley in a bid to get back into World title contention.

Tickets are priced at £30 (unreserved), £40 (reserved balcony or unreserved floor), £60 (outer-ringside) and £100 (ringside) are available from Ticketmaster on 0844 277 4455 – UK/Northern Ireland customers, 0818 719 300 – Republic of Ireland customers and at http://www.ticketmaster.ie/

VIP packages priced £150 are available from Matchroom Sport on 01277 359900 and at http://www.matchroomboxing.com/

Paul McCloskey’s fans can also buy their tickets at the prices above from Eurospar Dungiven and any EuroXchange outlet.