Italy’s boxers are promising double disappointment for the Irish when
Elio Cotena and Fabrizio Trotta take on Henry Coyle and Patrick Hyland
respectively on a big night of boxing at The Royal Theatre, Castlebar
on Friday, August 12th. Cotena will take on Coyle for the WBF Light
Middleweight title while former European title challenger Trotta will
look to snap the longest unbeaten run in Irish boxing when he takes on
Hyland in a Featherweight contest.
“Western Warrior” Coyle will have huge support in his native Mayo but
Cotena is adamant that they will be leaving the Royal Theatre
disappointed an d that Coyle will be leaving empty handed. Speaking
from his training camp in Naples the 30-year-old Neapolitan declared,
“I am coming into this fight on the back of the best form of my career
and I know that a big win in Ireland will lead to even greater
opportunities for me so I will be making room in my suitcase to bring
another title belt back home to Naples.”
Cotena is a grandson of the former Olympian and European
Featherweight Champion of the same name and he is promising to do
this namesake proud in Castlebar. “Boxing is in my blood and always
has been. Everyone knows that my grandfather was one of Italy’s
greatest boxers and I would love to replicate his achievements in the
sport.
“I have trained so hard for this fight and my team will be leaving
Naples very confident of victory in Ireland. I have watched some of
Coyle’s fights and I think his style is perfect for me. We share a
common opponent in Sandor Ramocsa and I have watched Coyle’s fight
with Ramocsa and that has only made me more confident of victory.”
Cotena will be joined on the card by compatriot Fabrizio Trotta and
he’s confident that the Azzuri can pull off the double. “It will be
great to have Fabrizio on the card as well. We will be there to
support each other and I’m sure that the score will be 2 – 0 for
Italy that night. Even if the Irishmen have Giovanni Trapattoni in
their corner that night it will not be any help!”
Fabrizio Trotta
Trotta will certainly be hoping for better luck on this trip to
Ireland having been unsuccessful in a challenge for for Rendall
Munroe’s European Super Bantamweight title in Dublin in 2008. On that
occasion Trotta made an excellent start before suffering a broken
right hand which put paid to his challenge in the fifth round.
“I have bad memories from my last trip to Ireland but I am determined
to make up for that this time around,” said Trotta. “Hyland has a nice
record but records are for paper, they count for nothing once you
start trading punches in the ring and I am confident that I can score
a big win to put me right back in the picture for a European title
fight.”
“I have had a frustrating time since that fight in Dublin with injury
and fights falling through but I am ready to put all that behind me
next month and get a big win over Hyland. Our styles are similar and
we both like to have a fight so I’m sure it will be exciting while it
lasts but this will be a step too far for Mr. Hyland.”
There will be plenty of local interest on the undercard at the Royal
Theatre with Westport’s unbeaten Finbarr “The Rock Eade bidding to
lift the Irish Super Featherweight title when he faces London based
southpaw Mickey Coveney while in an intriguing all Mayo battle former
Irish Light Heavyweight champ, John “The Warrior Waldron takes on
Michael “The Storm Sweeney. Another all Irish affair will see
Roscommon’s Darren Cruise look to extend his unbeaten record against
Leeds based Belfast southpaw Lee Murtagh while the Hyland family will
be hoping for a double celebration when former European title
challenger, Paul Hyland joins his older brother Patrick on the card
when he takes on Welsh opposition in the shape of Dai Davies.
Pajo to Impress
High Quality Photo
