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Michael Conlan and Joe Ward both earn gold at the European boxing championships
Published 19:49 15 Aug 2015 BST
Updated 20:12 15 Aug 2015 BST
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Michael Conlan is bringing another bantamweight gold medal back to Belfast.
Just over a year since he outpointed England's Qais Ashfaq to Commonwealth gold in Glasgow, Conlan repeated history by outclassing Ashfaq, this time in the European boxing championships. The talented bantamweight outfoxed Ashfaq by switching to southpaw in a back-and-forth final in Bulgaria. "I don't lose," Conlan told RTE Sport prior to the final and it looks like he was right. Westmeath's Joe Ward clearly follows a similar mantra as he landed more shots on Dutch light heavyweight Peter Mullenberg in their final this evening.
Joe Ward champ of Europe https://t.co/aFBsaJBEk7
— Kevin Mc Gillicuddy (@KMcGillicuddy86) August 15, 2015
Ward took the bout 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28, showing confidence and maturity beyond his years and not even a cut above Ward's left eyebrow late on was enough to stop his forward progress.
Things went from good to great for Conlan after the afternoon of boxing when he was awarded 'Boxer of the Tournament,' the second consecutive time that the honour was taken by an Irish bantamweight after John Joe Nevin in 2013.
Mick with the Boxer of the Tournament award! pic.twitter.com/yw1uCwR4hE
— Paddy Barnes (@paddyb_ireland) August 15, 2015
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