By Ben Carey
Neil Sinclair will defend his Irish light-middleweight title against USA-based former amateur star James Moore, according to a press release from Irish promoter Tommy Egan. No official date has been set but Egan claims the fight will be held at the City West Hotel and Conference Centre in Dublin sometime in April.
Until a date has been confirmed, details of the undercard matches emerge and Sinclair comments on the fight, experience tells me not to take Egan’s latest announcement as gospel.
Sinclair vs Moore was previously mooted (via more PR from Egan) to take place at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast on November 6 on the undercard of the rematch between heavyweights Sam Sexton and Martin Rogan. Instead, Sinclair fought Janos Petrovics on the Frank Warren promoted show, stopping the Hungarian in four rounds.
In addition to (James) Moore, Sinclair has also been linked with European light-middleweight champion Ryan Rhodes and Ireland’s John Duddy in recent months. Given that ‘Sinky’ will turn 36 in February, the Belfast banger will be eager to build on his career renaissance stoppage victory over the once highly touted Henry Coyle in May.
“Sinky and myself is a quality Irish title fight. I said earlier in the year, when the fight was been discussed for (Martin Rogan’s) Roggie’s show, we are both big punchers and it would be a shoot out between two bangers. I said it wouldn’t go the distance and one of us would be stopped and I still believe that,” commented Moore.
Moore, whose only appearance as a pro in Ireland came back in 2006, claimed a bronze medal at the 2001 world amateur championships and has amassed 17 wins from his 19 contests since switching codes. The 31-year-old’s two defeats have both come on points. Recently crowned WBA light-middleweight champion Yuri Foreman widely decisioned Moore over ten a year ago and Gabriel Rosado floored the Irishman en route to an eight-round points win in June 2008.
