GILL’S NIGHT IN ENEMY TERRITORY

It has been a few days since Michael Conlan suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of Jordan Gill, having been dropped and stopped to silence his home crowd. 

It was as devastating in execution as it was in consequence, leaving Conlan far out from the featherweight world title picture. 

Come main event time, the stage had been set excellently in Belfast. An undercard packed with the most exciting Irish talent delivered some tough and tight fights. 

A quick nod to Tyrone McKenna, who after a gruelling battle with Lewis Crocker has decided to hang up the gloves. Thrilling, exuberant, and quite frankly hard as f***, he will be missed. 

By the time Conlan walked to the ring, the place was electric. This felt like his moment. 

Both men were coming off the back of a stoppage defeat, lending thought to the fact that there might be some hesitation as the first bell sounded. But absolutely not. 

Gill was eager to exhibit his intention, marching forward at a Conlan who was thrusting out his jab. Both men had some good moments, but it was the away fighter who pipped the round after stiffening Conlan’s leg with a digging right hand. 

Then came the crisis moment.

As the pair got close in the second round, Gill hurled a hard left hook, throwing Conlan on his back. He rose, but did so on unsteady legs. He was now fighting for his career. 

The rest of the round saw Conlan fight the strongest of storms. Gill was throwing wildly, and Conlan was bouncing from rope to rope. The bell bought Conlan a much-needed reprieve. 

Gill’s intent from here on in was clear. He was searching for the shot, the combination, the moment to end this fight. 

Conlan was, of course, the opposite, manoeuvring off his backfoot and sitting behind his jab. When he could, he flung shots to both head and body, and when he could, he tied Gill up. 

Conlan’s work rate began to rise, and signs he had passed the threat were there. 

The sixth saw both men trade heavy blows, and a bloodied nose was Conlan’s reward for his accuracy. Was the tide about to turn? 

It wasn’t.

At the start of the seventh, Conlan was rocked by a Gill combination. Backed into the neutral corner and attempting to cover from the Gill deluge, referee Howard Foster waved the fight. 

There was talk of an early stoppage, but Jamie Conlan was said to be readying the towel regardless to save Mick from further punishment. A stunning victory for Gill. 

It seems a long way back now for Conlan, who’s punch resistance seems to be a real fly in the ointment. Maybe those brutal world title defeats have left just too much damage. 

I’m sure he, more than anyone, will feel suffocated by how close he came to winning the world title against Leigh Wood last year. 

The pair’s rivalry was bitter, succinct, and thoroughly entertaining, almost mirroring the professional career of Conlan should he hang up the gloves in wake of Saturday’s defeat. 

As for Gill, it has been a desperately difficult year in the wake of his loss to Kiko Martinez. 

His post-fight speech hailed his own mental fortitude. This was a man at the bottom of the slope, who rose to perform against high level company. 

If this is the springboard to something life changing, then you can only sit back and smile. 

Oscar Bevis