The Rocky Road

In Part 2 of our special from Vicar Street on the Katie Taylor/Croker Park, it’s a heavyweight special - fitting, given Muhammad Ali was the last fighter to headline there.‘No Carty, No Party’ seems to be the case once again as Dublin heavyweight Thomas Carty takes on durable Doncaster puncher Dave Allen in a make-or-break fight for both men. Carty grew up dreaming of playing for Dublin at Croke Park. Allen, meanwhile, is barely aware of the place and, with respect, doesn’t really care about its significance. We hear from both on why what happens between the ropes is all that matters.Katie’s cousin, Molly ‘Meatball’ McCann, a former UFC fighter, has secured a slot on the bill as she looks to add to her 4-0 boxing record in Dublin. We talk about the numbers game, the cold, hard currency of clicks, and why being kicked in the ring on her last visit to Ireland sent her career skyrocketing.Bobbi Flood, one of Ireland’s brightest prospects, also tells us how his cheeky teenage prediction to Eddie Hearn almost - kinda, sorta - came true.And it wouldn’t be a heavyweight special without Adam Olaniyan, the blessed Tallaght tower who’s coming for them all. Everyone keeps saying this is once-in-a-lifetime stuff, that Croker will never happen again. All the while, Adam is planning his first world title defence there.

The undercard for Katie Taylor’s Croke Park fight on September 5th has been officially confirmed - not that she needed one, judging by how ticket sales are said to have gone.In Part 1 of our special from Vicar Street, we hear from Jamie Conlan on how some of these fights came together. He manages Tyrone McKenna, who is in tough against heavy-handed world title challenger Paddy Donovan.We hear from both men on their all-Irish battle and why, for one, it’s the biggest fight of his life - while for the other, it’s a chance to have fun, lead his people to hallowed turf, and give them a day in the sun.Also on the card, Irish Olympic boxer Emmet Brennan - who grew up in the shadow of Croker - faces a monster test against UK KO artist Taylor Bevan. Emmet talks about what it’s been like spending 18 months out of the ring, his delight at landing a slot like this, and why he credits quitting alcohol with so much of his recent success. He also explains why he believes he can exploit weaknesses in Bevan and earn himself a bumper promotional deal.There’s an all-Irish clash at middleweight too, as Paul Ryan takes on Paddy Gallagher - both of whom have been guests on the show to tell their stories in 2026. We check in with both as they come to terms with winning the golden ticket so many of their fellow boxers coveted: a backstage pass on Jones’ Road and the chance to say, “I fought there.”

Lewis Crocker surrendered his IBF world welterweight title after a gruelling battle with Liam Paro in Brisbane.Having won the belt in his closely contested rematch with Paddy Donovan at Windsor Park last September, the Croc was handed a stern first defence: a trip Down Under to face the home favourite.And he very nearly pulled it off, coming on strong in the late rounds and showing much of his feted power as he hurt Paro down the stretch and came close to getting him out of there in a desperate final round.We discuss the bout, and what’s next for both fighters, on today’s show.Renowned Australian journalist Grantlee Kieza joins us to give his view of the contest, as well as to discuss his time in the corner of his country’s boxing GOAT, Jeff Fenech, and his long association with heavyweight Joe Bugner.Lewis’ sister, Alanna Nihell, also comes on to tell us why her younger brother won’t be too downhearted in defeat and why he’s still got the world at his feet.Alanna also tells us why she’ll be front and centre at Croke Park on September 5 for her old friend’s last dance, 25 years after facing Katie Taylor in the IABA’s first sanctioned female bout at the National Stadium.Finally, the voice of boxing in Belfast, David Mohan of BBC Sport NI, gives us his analysis of the Crocker-Paro war.Podcast photo credit: No Limit Boxing

Barry Jones is a decorated ex-boxer turned pundit and analyst, a former WBO super-featherweight world champion who’s returning to Dublin this summer for a couple of key events in the calendar. First he’ll be ringside to call Pierce O’Leary v Mark Chamberlain at the 3Arena in August – then he’ll be back the following month to bring us Katie Taylor’s retirement bout against Flora Pili at Croke Park, which was finally announced last week. Along with the Zuffa card spearheaded by Callum Walsh v Tyler Denny and a world title shot for Aaron McKenna, it’s a mental summer for Irish boxing, and who better than the world’s best boxing pundit to talk us through it? Barry discusses the inner drive of a top champion, life after boxing for Katie and why honesty is the best policy on the mic – no matter what pressures might be applied in favour of a house fighter. We also hear about Dublin’s integral part in his own world title journey. 

We’re mapping out what is about to be the most chaotic, star-studded and high-stakes summer in the history of Irish boxing. Four shows in less than two months, spanning from Leopardstown Racecourse to back-to-back weeks at the 3Arena, all leading up to a history making night at Croke Park when Katie Taylor boxes for the very last time. To break down the logistics, the promoter egos, the ticket sales and the fights themselves, we’re bringing in a man who knows the business from both sides of the ropes. Martin Wall’s a former amateur champion out of Crumlin, a former pro, a chartered accountant and the familair voice on the mic for some of Irish boxing’s greatest battles in recent years. We’re talking about potential undercards, ramifications and the long-term strategy for the fight business in Ireland. 

This week, we sit down with former world title challenger, elite trainer, and boxing historian "The Iceman" John Scully. Ahead of his June 6 event at the legendary Deer Lake training camp to mark the ten-year anniversary of Muhammad Ali's death, Scully breaks down the complex legacy of The Greatest - from the draft and his life outside the ring, to his sheer toughness and legend. He talks about being inspired by Ali as a kid and even pretending to be him during one of his toughest battles in the professional ring, plus his meetings with the champ, from the elation of his first to the poignancy of his last. We also dive into the realities of the sport today, the physical damage fighters carry, the importance of fighter reunions and Scully’s ongoing philanthropic work supporting retired boxers who have fallen on hard times - and why more help is needed.

This week on The Rocky Road, Kevin sits down with Limerick’s 15-1 southpaw Lee Reeves ahead of his May 30 return at Leopardstown Racecourse on a JB Promotions show.From the streets of Limerick to the lights of Madison Square Garden, Reeves’ journey has been anything but ordinary. In a deeply honest conversation, he opens up about personal grief, finding purpose and the experiences that have shaped him inside and outside the ring.A right-hander who switched to southpaw as a teenager, Reeves has never taken the obvious route. He speaks about the night he spent 28 minutes in the dark waters of the River Shannon trying to save a life, his service with the 12th Battalion, his work as a mental health ambassador in suicide prevention and his drive to climb the professional ranks.Now managed by Jamie Conlan and David McGinley, Reeves is targeting big domestic clashes this August — and if Irish contenders stand between him and a world title shot, he is ready to go through them. An absorbing conversation with Irish boxing’s ‘Mr Worldwide’.“I hope my opponents don’t take me seriously... because they’ll find out.”If you have been affected by anything discussed on this podcast, please contact the Samaritans on 1850 609 090 or Pieta House on 01 6010000.

Joining us to dissect the absolute chaos of the Daniel Dubois v Fabio Wardley heavyweight clash is a man who lives and breathes the sport. Hailing from a legendary fighting lineage in Drogheda, Chris McKenna is a former boxer himself and a top boxing journalist. He is the son of coaching icon Christy McKenna and the brother of one of the island's elite tactical minds, Damien McKenna. We discuss the madness in Manchester and what’s next for the new WBO champ, Dubois. With news dropping on the Irish boxing scene almost daily this week, we also run through the headlines around Joe Ward and Lewis Crocker, while Chris tells us about the unbreakable bond he has with boxing and why the anticipation that comes before a major bout trumps all others in the world of sport. 

Since hanging up the gloves, unified world champion Ryan Burnett hasn’t been looking for a quiet life. Whether it’s pushing supercars to the limit or tearing up tracks on motorbikes, he’s a man who still lives life on the edge. Now a boxing trainer in his own right, his latest challenge was perhaps his most personal and gruelling yet: pushing 63.5kg - the fighting weight of his late mentor Ricky Hatton - through the 26.2 miles of the Belfast Marathon.It was a journey that almost ended before it began after Ryan slipped a disc during his training camp, and the race itself proved just as unforgiving. Flanked by boxing royalty like Andy Lee and Carl Frampton, Ryan suffered at stages but found the mental iron to power through. If you didn’t already think he was something of a lunatic, wait until how you hear he got through the last two miles. This was Ryan’s personal farewell to Ricky and a mission to raise vital funds for mental health.Read more and support the cause here:https://www.justgiving.com/page/mickey-meehan-5?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAb21jcARj6VFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA81NjcwNjczNDMzNTI0MjcAAafguiP-FSsyIxKAiXuciG_--T7431Zmo6rliqbmThCuVtNzlIZXGzq6wr47fA_aem_p8_OJwztSrRqXx4JLDiKEw