David Oliver Joyce ...

David Oliver was a welcome presence in Springfield on Saturday morning. It's not every-day a Rio Olympian and a European champion calls down and David Oliver was there to support his son Mickey Joe who is part of the club's Under-8 squad. The man who was described as 'the best pound-for-pound boxer in amateur boxing' by Jimmy Magee when David Oliver dominated the amateur game won the WBO European featherweight title in Dubai on Thursday 5 April with a seventh round stoppage victory over Stephen Tiffney. This was the nineteenth title won by David Oliver in a career that included 3 European Union amateur titles and 6 Elite Irish senior amateur titles. It was 'The Punisher's' his first professional title in his tenth professional bout on the first occasion a Mullingar boxer has won a European professional title. It is interesting that David Oliver is now boxing at featherweight for the first time in 13 years something Davy Oliver credits to good nutritional habits and the expertise of his nutritionist. The WBO belt proved to be a great attraction on Saturday morning and after it was introduced to the Flanagan Cup, the older children availed of the photo shoot opportunity.