The Rocky Road

Joining us today is The Sun’s short boxing writer who loves a tall fistic tale, whether it’s roasting hot in York Hall or self-loathing in Las Vegas – but never rowdy in Saudi. It’s Wally Downes Jr, fresh from Riyadh where he oversaw Dmitry Bivol’s successful revenge mission against Artur Beterbiev. Wally’s just come from the first Chris Eubank Jr-Conor Benn press conference (sponsored by Riyadh Season) where the Brighton boxer egged his opponent – so we ask Wally if it’s fair to say that such cracking shithousery wouldn’t be egged on in Jeddah? We also talk about Aaron McKenna’s shot at Liam Smith on the same card, why Wally loves an underdog story, cutting through PR to report on boxing in 2025, the challenge of writing about sportswashing, why DAZN doesn’t always work for fighters on the rise as well as that Last Crescendo card, Andy Lee’s excellent stewardship of ‘Gypsy’ Joe Parker and his man Paddy Donovan’s upcoming derby battle with Lewis Crocker. And breathe…

It’s always a pleasure to talk boxing with today’s guest, Mick Conlan - and the response we get everytime we have him on, shows that listeners relish these appearances as well. There’s so much to talk about in Irish boxing. We’ve recently experienced utter tragedy with the untimely passing of Galway warrior John Cooney following a battle in Belfast, the first fatality in an Irish ring for nearly 60 years. That, and the death of jockey Michael O’Sullivan, is another reminder of the commitment these sportsmen and women give to their craft. From daily battles with the scales, to performing in high-pressure situations where one wrong move can result in catastrophe, boxers and jockeys have much in common and their willingness to sacrifice for our entertainment must never be overlooked. Yet racing goes on, Cheltenham is coming, and boxing continues apace as well, and will do as long as men and women are called to the ring. Today’s guest knows all about that call. After stepping away for all of 2024, he returns on March 7 in Brighton with a new training and promotional team behind him. The featherweight talks about the Last Dance, why he’ll be watching the Eubank-McKenna main event through his fingers, the dirty boxing business, going his own way by managing himself and his new coach, Grant Smith, who in 2006 was hit by a 56-tonne tram going 28mph – and lived to tell the tale. Conlan also discusses his fighters Dean Walsh (who’s in action in Mick’s new home from home of Sheffield on March 1) and Kevin Cronin (who’s taking on Emmet Brennan in Mick’s old stomping ground, Madison Square Garden, a fortnight later) as well as those he's no longer managing, like Lewis Crocker and Pierce O'Leary (who both have huge outings in the pipeline, Crocker v Paddy Donovan on March 1 and Big Bang with a potential Dublin homecoming in April). Plus we couldn’t go without talking about two upcoming world title fights for Irishmen, involving two of his past opponents – TJ Doheny v Nick Ball on March 15 and Anto Cacace v Leigh Wood on May 10.

Robbie Murray is a former undefeated professional boxer who defied the odds to achieve success in the ring. As a boy, he battled severe asthma and depended on the use of daily oxygen masks, and at that stage a future life as a sportsman seemed a million miles away. But boxing helped him build up his lung capacity and ultimately, he found success in the amateurs before turning pro in 2001, fighting out of Breen’s Gym in Belfast and representing Dublin. He trained and sparred alongside the likes of Neil Sinclair, Eamonn Magee and Paul McCloskey in an era when fellow 140lb boxers Shea Neary, Ricky Hatton and Francie Barrett, his old amateur rival, were making waves. His biggest night came in ’05 when he beat Peter McDonagh for the Irish title at the National Stadium – and bigger nights looked to be on the horizon. But he instead decided to hang up his gloves, his hunger satisfied, health intact, and pursue another legacy in the sport. Robbie became a full-time performance coach and took over his old amateur club, St Matthews in Ballyfermot. Coaching opened his eyes to the need for a fairer – and safer – system in underage boxing. He developed Fight Ireland in a bid to achieve proper matchmaking, knowing there are levels to the game, which he hopes will come back online soon. He then developed the Boxing Winner app, which provides a structured learning and development pathway for boxers of all levels. And The Rocky Road visited Murray in Ballyer to check out his newest venture which could end up changing the sport entirely – simulated boxing. Making boxing safer is something everyone wants but few know how that can be achieved. It is a brutal sport and those who enter it usually do so with their eyes wide open. Fights are fights, rounds are rounds, punishment is taken and dished out. It is the hurt game. Murray has recently completed a masters degree in sports performance analysis and time will tell if his research and methods are adapted to allow fighters worldwide to prepare in a safer way in future. This episode of The Rocky Road is dedicated to John Cooney, an Irish boxing warrior who tragically lost his life following a Celtic title fight at the Ulster Hall in February 2025. 

Stephen Ormond, known as The Rock during his fighting career, knows all about The Rocky Road in boxing. A teenage elite champion who comes from a boxing dynasty, he’s related to the legendary Spike McCormack on his mother’s side, while his father and uncles were all champions in the ring as well, iconic fighting Dubliners all. He boxed as a pro for over a decade, with 33 fights in all, winning the WBO European, IBF inter-continental and WBU world titles, and was never, ever in a dull fight. Ormond was a well-schooled, aggressive boxer-puncher who shared the sparring ring with Conor McGregor but never once s***-talked another fighter to get to where he wanted to go. Ultimately, a world title shot passed him by, but he’s determined to reach the holy grail, this time as a trainer. That’s led to the opening of Stephen Ormond Boxing down at the Colosseum Gym in Kylemore, where we met for a chat about his ideas on what makes a successful pro, and a look back at his best night yet in boxing. We’re also joined by his old mate Luke Keeler, a year on from his first appearance on the show, while there’s also something of an exclusive towards the end of the episode as hype man supreme, cutman and uisce guru Mark Kennedy lends his thoughts on Ormond’s potential as a coach, and irish-boxing.com’s effervescent roving reporter Matt Meehan gives his take on the events of the day.

The hugely anticipated Irish domestic clash between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan is only weeks away and we've caught up with both camps ahead of the epic clash in Belfast in March. On this episode, we chat with Lewis Crocker, Jamie Conlan and Billy Nelson.

The hugely anticipated Irish domestic fight between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan is only weeks away and we've caught up with both camps ahead of the epic clash in Belfast in March. First up, we chat with Paddy Donovan, Andy Lee and Jason Quigley.

Happy Christmas from all of us at The Rocky Road! It's been a big year for the podcast and to round out the campaign, here's our 2024 Year in Review show. Tommy Hyde and Terry O'Neill are back in harness to go over the Irish Fighter, Fight, Knockout and Trainer of the Year. We also discuss the biggest Gutpunch of 2024, the good, bad and ugly of the amateur season and look ahead to some major moves in 2025. Thanks to everyone who's joined us this year on the show, tuned in or helped out along with the fighters, coaches, fans and volunteers who make #IrishBoxing what it is today. 

What more can be said about the genius of Oleksandr Usyk? The Ukrainian got the better of Tyson Fury in their heavyweight championship rematch in Riyadh on Saturday night - this time by unanimous decision. Just as their first battle in May was, this was a thrilling fight, with ebbs and flows, momentum swings, and a force of nature – in the form of Usyk – who just couldn’t be denied in the second half of the contest. What a championship fighter this guy is. Joining us on The Rocky Road to discuss the event are rising Cork boxer Tommy Hyde, who was in Saudi Arabia for the superfight, and actor/comedian and former Ireland international boxer Terry O’Neill.

Jay Byrne is a former Irish boxer and current manager, trainer and promoter. Having just put on his seventh show in just over 12 months in Dublin, he's currently the most prolific fight fixer in the country. Here, he joins The Rocky Road to tell us about the angry young man he once was, how he matured and why he now finds contentment in helping others, be it inside or outside of the ring. Jay discusses his 19-fight career, having boxed the best of British at the start of his career live on Sky Sports, to seeking domestic glories back home with some explosive derby duels. They're now the focus of his promotional career as he looks to build a healthy and entertaining scene in Irish boxing, all the while collaborating with his colleagues who head up rival promotional teams.