Jude Gallagher claims Northern Ireland’s first boxing win at Commonwealth Games

Northern Ireland's Jude Gallagher in action against Eswatini's Zweli Comfort Dlamini

Sean McGoldrick

July 30 2022 07:56 PM

Tyrone featherweight Jude Gallagher has secured Northern Ireland’s first win in the boxing arena at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The Two Castles boxers had too much craft for Zweli Dlamini from Swaziland in a last 32 contest. The Tyrone fighter will meet England 2017 European silver medallist Niall Farrell in the next round.

Meanwhile, on the undercard of the Billam-Smith v Chamberlain show in Bournemouth which Sky TV are broadcasting, Monaghan pro Steven McKenna made it 12 wins on the spin when he stopped 34-year old Facundo Rojas from Argentina.

The Irish welterweight was simply in a different class to Rojas; every punch McKenna landed hurt his opponent who went into the fight with a 6-5-1 record. The referee brought an early halt to proceedings which means that McKenna has now won all but one of his professional fight inside the distance.

But he now needs to take on better quality opponents in order to move to the next phase of his career.