Michael Conlan loses on his return to Belfast – Kevin Walsh causes a surprise and secures the WBC International title.
Irish featherweight Michael Conlan returned to Belfast but suffered a surprising split decision defeat to little-known Kevin Walsh. The fight at the SSE Arena in Belfast developed into an uneventful battle that offered hardly any offensive highlights for long stretches.
After ten disappointing rounds, the judges scored the fight 97-93 for Conlan and 96-94 twice for Walsh, who thus remained unbeaten. From a ringside perspective, however, it looked as if Conlan had done enough to take the win on points – albeit in a very tough and tactical duel overall. DAZN commentator Carl Frampton stated after the fight that “Conlan did enough to get the win”.
The event marked the launch of Kalle Sauerland’s new promotion MF Pro, which succeeds Wasserman and Sauerland Promotions. A visibly unhappy Kalle Sauerland confirmed to DAZN that “a rematch clause” is included in the contract.
Walsh (20-0, 10 KOs) secured the WBC International featherweight title in his first fight outside the USA, delivering a classic upset. Despite his low profile, he traveled to Belfast as number 30 in the WBC rankings and was therefore eligible to fight for the belt. The 33-year-old American is now likely to climb into the top 15 of the WBC world rankings.
Conlan (20-4, 10 KOs) had previously rebuilt himself with wins over Asad Asif Khan and Jack Bateson after successive knockout defeats to Jordan Gill and Luis Alberto Lopez. However, the loss to Walsh now represents a massive setback and seriously jeopardizes a third attempt at a world featherweight title.