Joe Ward narrowly avoided a disastrous night in Dublin, securing a unanimous decision win over Artjom Kasparian after ten intense rounds at the 3Arena. The Irish fighter, once hailed as a prodigious amateur, has faced a roller‑coaster of setbacks that have threatened to derail his professional aspirations, making this triumph a pivotal moment in his comeback story.
Ward’s amateur pedigree is the stuff of legend. At just 17 years old, he captured Ireland’s first senior European gold medal in 2011, a record that still stands. He later earned a place on the Olympic team, but a series of misfortunes plagued his final years as an amateur. The transition to the professional ranks proved even more unforgiving: a dislocated knee in his debut fight left him on the canvas and resulted in a loss that many thought would mark the end of his career.
The bout against Kasparian was Ward’s first professional appearance since 2024, and it represented his ticket back to the upper echelons of the sport. From the opening bell he looked as if he had never been away.
Using his south‑paw stance to great effect, he peppered the Manchester‑based opponent with crisp jabs and snapping body shots, even landing a noticeable strike to Kasparian’s right eye that earned him a temporary nickname among the crowd. Kasparian, however, refused to be intimidated. He kept his distance early on, then in the third round unleashed a rapid series of right hooks to Ward’s jaw that tested the Irishman’s chin. Ward’s arms began to show signs of fatigue, and he leaned into a clinch to catch his breath.
The middle rounds saw Kasparian maintain a relentless pace, throwing heavy, looping punches that at times seemed to push Ward to the brink of collapse. Despite the onslaught, Ward’s heart and experience shone through. In the seventh round he rallied, delivering a series of powerful backhand blows that halted Kasparian’s momentum. The Irishman seized the moment, finding a second wind that allowed him to dictate the tempo in the eighth round with a crisp one‑two combination that sent Kasparian reeling.
The crowd erupted as Ward pressed his advantage, nearly sending Kasparian through the ropes with a flurry of punches. The ninth round featured a dramatic exchange: Ward twisted his right hand and drove his left down, while Kasparian answered with vicious left hooks. Ward landed a clean, precise left cross that staggered Kasparian, then followed with a sustained combination that forced the referee to intervene at the end of the round.
In the final round both fighters traded blows with ferocious intensity. Kasparian attempted to retreat, but Ward kept the pressure on, landing a series of crisp counters that culminated in a raised‑arms celebration at the final bell. The night was not limited to Ward’s comeback. Stevie McKenna, sharing the card with his older brother Aaron, delivered a spectacular opening bout.
McKenna stormed the ring, confronting Owen O’Neill with a barrage of heavy punches. O’Neill tried to evade by moving backward, but McKenna’s relentless left hook and wide‑armed strikes left his opponent with no room to breathe.
A decisive one‑two followed by a powerful right cross sent O’Neill crashing to the canvas, prompting an immediate stoppage in the first round. Scottish middleweight prospect Sam Hickey continued his rise with a second straight knockout, dispatching Brad Axe in spectacular fashion.
After a competitive early exchange, Hickey landed a short, sharp right to the side of Axe’s head in the third round, sending him to one knee. The bell saved Axe, but Hickey resumed his assault, driving Axe into the ropes repeatedly. In the seventh round, a thunderous right hand from Hickey spun Axe around, and the referee called an immediate halt, awarding Hickey a dominant victory.
In another bout, Romania’s Daniel Buciuc survived six rounds against Britain’s Louis Greene, though he spent the closing seconds of the fight in serious trouble. After a relatively calm opening round, Greene began to dominate the middle rounds, hammering Buciuc’s body with hooks and delivering hard, chopping punches that left the Romanian reeling.
Buciuc attempted to clinch, only to expose himself to Greene’s overhand right. Despite the onslaught, Buciuc stayed on his feet long enough to see the final bell, with Greene taking the decision 59‑55. Connor Coyle earned a unanimous points decision over USA’s Mark Beuke after a bruising ten‑round contest. Coyle started strong, landing solid right hands that caught Beuke early.
The American responded with powerful hooks and a cut above his right eye that complicated his performance. While Beuke’s punches were often single, powerful blows, Coyle’s superior combination work and precise finishing punches secured him a clear victory on the scorecards (98‑92, 98‑93, 97‑93). American cruiserweight prospect Patrick O’Connor, who carries Irish heritage, dispatched Spain’s Juan Manuel Moriel in spectacular fashion. O’Connor used his jab to control distance, then unleashed a right hand and a series of body hooks before finishing with a left hook to the head.
Moriel suffered a shoulder injury and was unable to continue after the first round, granting O’Connor another early stoppage and preserving his unbeaten record of four wins, all inside the distance. The event showcased a full slate of thrilling fights, underscoring the depth of talent on display in Dublin. Fans can look forward to more high‑profile match‑ups in 2026, with major bouts slated throughout the year. For those who missed the action, the fights are available for streaming via NOW, and the Toe2Toe podcast provides weekly analysis of the sport’s biggest moments.
Additionally, the IBF world middleweight title clash between Aaron McKenna and Etinosa Oliha will be broadcast live on Sky Sports this Saturday, offering another opportunity to witness elite boxing from the Irish capital.