Return of the Mick: Michael Conlan Boasts Brilliance in Belfast 

Return of the Mick: Michael Conlan Boasts Brilliance in Belfast 

By Lucy McDonald

As Michael Conlan (17-1) took to the stage to make his ring walk, the SSE Arena fell to silence. The Irish ballad ‘Grace’ then echoed from wall to wall, a song rich in history and richer in beauty. A room of passionate and emotional fans sang their hearts out to the moving lyrics as they soaked up every last drop of the outstanding atmosphere that they themselves created. All of this in the interest of reintroducing the fighting pride of their city to the place that means the most to any fighter, to anyone – home.  

Conlan arrived firmly back on the featherweight scene last weekend, dominating Columbia’s Miguel Marriaga (30-6) and securing a wide points victory. The Irishman was on a mission to remind the boxing world, and specifically the 126lb division, that he will be a world champion.

The world title dream was placed on hold for a short time after suffering his first ever professional loss to WBA regular featherweight champion, Leigh Wood (26-2). The Conlan-Wood clash was arguably the best that boxing has seen so far in 2022. After scoring an emphatic knockdown in the first round, fans believed that fight was over and the night in Nottingham belonged to Conlan. Remarkably, Wood made a rapid recovery in readiness for the second round and the relentless war between the two men continued.

The majority of spectators had Conlan winning over the initial eleven rounds and, with only three minutes to go, it seemed highly likely that the WBA title had a brand-new owner. With what would have been a spectacular victory only seconds away, the fight ended abruptly, and Wood triumphed by stunning knockout in the final round to retain his champion status. The knockout itself was difficult viewing and messages of concern and support flooded in from all over the globe on behalf of the popular two-time Olympian. After the news arrived that Conlan was safe and healthy, boxing fans eagerly awaited the Return of the Mick.  

Belonging at world level is the point that Conlan returned to the ring to prove. He and his opponent, Marriaga, shared a similar style from the opening bell and, through the early rounds, were equally calculated in their approach. A considerable amount more boxing brain cells were activated than punches landed. It did not take too long for the fight to warm up, but the atmosphere around the Arena remained chilling. Fans watched on in anticipation, but never quit from singing, cheering, and believing.  

With 26 of Marriaga’s 30 wins coming by way of knockout, and names on his resume such as Oscar Valdez and Vasyl Lomachenko, it would be difficult to argue that Team Conlan opted for an unexperienced opponent for his comeback fight. But he made it look easy. There were no questions asked of him that he couldn’t find the answers to. Using his southpaw stance and quick movement entirely to his advantage, Conlan’s five-star performance was also a classy boxing lesson. Scoring three knockdowns over the course of the ten rounds, it was clear for all to see who was having all the success.

A late onslaught from Marriaga was the only moment that tested Conlan but there was nothing in the attack that was out of his control. The judges’ scorecards rightly reflected what was witnessed in the ring (99-89, 99-88 and 99-88) and the far superior fighter exited the Arena wearing the winner’s crown. The jubilant fans celebrated in each other’s arms until the lights in the Arena came on and the staff evicted them from their seats.  

Now back to winning ways, the 30-year-old targets a rematch with Leigh Wood. Although Wood is currently chasing opportunities for further world titles, there are few fight fans who wouldn’t be keen to see them run back their epic battle. Each weight division in boxing is packed with quality, however, the featherweight division is in a league of its own as for quality and quantity, with many big and intriguing fights to be made. In whichever direction Michael Conlan goes next, boxing will follow.  

Elsewhere on the card, Tyrone McKenna (23-3-1) and Chris Jenkins (23-6-2) delivered an explosive co-main event bout. With both men coming into the ring off the back of previous losses, they each knew that blood would likely be shed as they made their campaign to climb back to the top of their game. The fight was close and, due to the relentlessness of each round, it was at times difficult to score. McKenna claimed the victory on the judges’ scorecards, however, many had Jenkins as their winner. The fight brought fireworks and leaves the opportunity for an exciting potential rematch in the future.  

Belfast native, Padraig McCory (14-0), won in sensational fashion with a fifth-round stoppage to remain the WBC international silver super-middleweight champion.  

Kieran Molloy, Kurt Walker and Paddy Donovan all also added to their unbeaten records.  

Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank