Blood, sweat and sweet victory are on the table tonight at the RAG Rumble in DUC’s very own venue.
Eimear Phelan, The College View’s resident liveblogger, is here to bring you the action, blow by blow, Punch by punch.
Lights, Action, Punches! Student against Student, SU against SU, DCU’s RAG Rumble as it happened. Check out our twitter @thecollegeview too with our tweeter Suzanne.
Thirteen fights tonight, and there will only be one winner, you!
20:15: We are still waiting for the crowd to come in and get settled. The ring girls are practicing strutting their stuff.
20:20: Almost full now. Also if you want to see the fights live check out MPS on YouTube, they are streaming directly from here. And DCUFm are commentating live from right beside me too.
20:25: So the first few fights of the night are:
Red Vs Blue
Jonas Nielson Vs Jesse Balfe
James Galvin Vs Eanna McGowan
Marty Jumakan Vs Cian Keogh
20:31: The fights will get started in the next 10 minutes. RAG has organised a makeshift betting shop with proceeds going to charity. Choose your favorites now.
20:35: Up first tonight is Jonas Nielson, “The Teacher”. He is a 23 year old standing tall at 6″. His opponent Jesse Balfe is coming in a little young at 18 but dont let that put you off. He stands at 5″ 11 and has a reach of 68″.
20:40: Judges are by the ringside, the crowd is almost seated and the music is pumping. The Rag Rumble is well and truly rumbling now.
20:45: Brian Daly is out commentator for the night and has just gotten into the ring.
20:45:Marty O’Neil is the referee of the night and the fights will take place in three one-and-a-half minute rounds.
20:47: the red corner “in favour of corporate punishment” Jessie Nielson struts into the ring to the tune of “Baby dont Hurt me”. An his younger opponent Jesse Balfe comes in to”Sex on the Beach”.
20:50: And we are off. Nielson kicks it off with his slightly longer reach. The ref interferes but it appears Nielson is the crowds favourite.
20:53: Blafe starts off strong but isnt faring well under the blows of Neilson,
20: 54: Final round: Nielson still dominating blows to the head and face.
20:55: Its all over folks. Nielson comes out on top.
20:55: James Galvin in red comes in to Eminem. His opponent Eanna Mc Gowan, in blue, comes in to the “Macerena”
20:57: Some lovely clean punches start off the round, then it gets dirty. Very evenly matched opponents here. Galvin has a longer reach but Mc Gowan getting some great hits in.
21: 00: Round 2: both taking hits this round with Galvin taking a lot of body hits and Mc Gown some direct hits tthe face. He guard is slipping.
21:02: Round 3: Galvin is a lot lighter on his feet this round but took an absolute pummeling there from Mc Gowan.
21:04: A very close decision but the winner is Eanna McGowan.
21:05: Marty Jumakan. in red takes his boxing seriously, comin in to “Eye of the Tiger. Cain Keogh, in blue, takes pride is his hair colour, “The Ginge Ninja”.
21:07: A fantastic hook by Keogh there. He has Jumakan on the run. And another by Keogh. he is agile, ducking under any offence Jumakan offers.
21:08: Round 2: Jumakan starts the offensive this round. but soon Keogh has him on the run again. some very stong hit by both sides. Keogh is a little more agile on his feet. A lot more close body contact this round.
21:11: There is no round three this round Jumakan having to retire due to injury. He shakes hands with Keogh as he holds his shoulder. And Cain Keogh is the Winner of this Bout.
21:13; James Brett “the bogger” in red this round with Denis Holthuis, in Blue coming in to “Cant touch this”.
21:14: Brett comes in swinging literalyl this bout. But soon Holthuis has him at his mercy. Brett has a stumble and goes to one knee but recovers. Holthuis is using his height to his advantage.
21:17: Round 2: Holthuis takes a good few hits early there. But gets a good one back. Brett gets boos for getting a hit in after a refs caution.lots of puches going wide this round. Both have a sturdy guard.
21: 21 Round 3; punches flying fast and furious and Hothuis Falls out of the ring due to the intensity. A much messier fight. it uncelar who came out on top.
21:22 The closest contest so far results in Denis Hothuis coming out on top.
21:23: Ronan Dollan in Red this round Vs Marc Denemead in Blue. Both have very similar theme songs.
21:25; Two tall opponents this round. Denemads head gear is fixed by the ref. lots of exchange but very few blows hitting true. It appears Dollan is on the run a bit with Denamed being a bit more aggressive.
21:27: Round 2: Denemad got a nice head shot in there. Very evenly matched opponents here. Dollan got a few back there. Denemad has Dollan on the run a bit again but again very few hits this round.
21:30: Round 3Denemad coming off strong from the break. A lovely head shot by Denemad with Dollan against the ropes.
21:32: The winner is Marc Denemad in the Blue corner.
21:33: Next up one of our two female fights of the Night. Laura Shiels, in red comes in to “Cant hold us”. And in the Blue corner we have Claire Keegan who comes in to “Welcome to the Jungle”.
21:35: Shields kicks it off to a flying stat with a lovely clean head shot. A very heated fight here. Laura appears to be the crowds favorite. Was a problem with Shiels gloves. and now Keegan has knocked Shiels headgear off.
Ring boy in a thong! RING BOY IN A XMAS THONG! Ahem
21: 40: Round 2: Keegan knocks Shiels against the ropes. Keegan is dominating this round.
21; 41: Round 3: First jabs to the face by Keegan. But again she is being dominated by Keegan. OH! Shiels comes back in a flurry of punches to the head. She has Keegan against the ropes!! Jab after jab!
21:45 On a split decision The winner is Claire Keegan.
21:46: Colm Kelly in the red corner. His opponent John Martin, the self proclaimed “The Molester” Comes in to something sound suspiciously culchie.
21:48: A very physical fight this one. Both go for each other furiously. Martin appears to have the upper hand but Kelly is giving as good as he got. Kelly pushes Martin against the ropes. It seems Kelly is slightly ahead at the end of that round.
21:51: Round 2: Martin starts the round but Kelly seems to be landing more punches. He isnt giving Martin a chance to get a punch in.
21:53: Round 3: Kelly seems to be focusing on the face and its an effective tactic. The crowd is calling out for Martin but he appears to be done. He asks for time. His coach encourages him to get back out there but again it is Kelly that dominates this round.
21:55: The two boys are good friends apparently but only one can come out on top. And on another split decision Colin Kelly is the winner in the Red Corner.
21:58: There is a short intermission now with some dances preformed by Dance Soc.
22:03: Gary Gillick, HR manager for RAG commented on events so far “[It was] absolutely class! Some of the boxers I though were gonna lose, won. And I think that maybe they got a new lease of life due to the crowd atmosphere.”
22:12: The second half is just kicking off now with Sean Cuddy, in blue and Sam Rice in The red. They are going to stage an exhibition fight.
Lost internet there for a sec. Back now damn eduroam
22:14: Both are evenly matched opponents. With Cuddy being more aggressive. Some lovely body shots by Cuddy there. Both boxers getting some lovely shots in here. It’s a beautiful thing to watch.
22:17: Round 2: Cuddy has come out raring to go this round but appears to be suffering a little at the hands of Rice. Its a faster match this round with both getting in hits. Cuddy had a bit of a stumble there but stayed on his feet. Cuddy in the corner again.
22:20: Round 3: Lots of close contact fighting here. Lots of little jabs and short uppercuts. The crowd is really getting into it. Rice still seems to be dominating the match with more direct hits. In the last 10 seconds Cuddy had Rice against the ropes.
22:23 As it was an exhibition match the decision must be a draw. Congrats to both fighters.
22:24: Now we have our final final female match of the night. Melissa Morley in red comes in to “Lose yourself”. And in the blue corner we have Niamh Nolan. She comes in to “Never gona give you up”.
22:27: Nolan is down in the first 5 seconds. She is up again and give it to Morley good. Both exchange a lot of blows.
22:29: Round 2: Nolan starts off the rounds but soon Morley has her against the ropes. Some great head shots by Morley.
22:31: Round 3: Both really go for each other this round. Morley seems to have more power behind her blows.
22:33: And now the winner is Melissa Morley in the red corner.
22:34: Next up is “The guy who doesnt give a f**k” Simon English in the Red Corner. And his opponent Ahmed Dafalla in the blue corner.
22; 36: English comes in with the first blows. He knocks Darfalla to the ground!! And almost a second time!
22:39 Round 2:The crowd is going wild, Chanting “Simon”. And Darfalla is down a second time! He is more wary now. English has him in the corner.
22:41: Round 3: English has some direct face blows. He is pushing Darfalla around the ring. One corner to the next. Darfalla lasts the round.
22:43: The winner from this round is no surprise, Simon English in the red corner.
22:44 Next up in the red is Mark Young comes into the ring to “Flash”. In the Blue corner we have Ciaran O Hanrahan.
22:45: Both very agile boxers this round, Lots of evasive techniques. Still O Hanrahan has Young against the ropes in the first 30 seconds. A lot of blows going wide this round.
22:48: Round 2: O Hanrahan has the height in this fight and is using it. He got one, two, three jabs to the face in there.
22: 49 One of the medical team has been called to look at Young but he appears to be ok to fight on. They finish the round.
22:51: Round 3: Both quite wary of each other this round. more distance in the fight but again O Hanrahan has Young against the ropes.
22:53 and the winner of that round is Ciasan O Hanrahan.
22:54: Next up is Franklin O’Reilly in the Red corner. And in the Blue corner coming in to “Reach for the stars” is Aiden Gahan.
22:56: Gahan has a clear height advantage in this fight but was immediately swarmed by O’Reilly. He came back strong and got a lot of blows in.
22:58: Round 2: Gahan is using his height and reach to his advatage but O’Reilly seems to be able to take the blows.
23:00 Round 3: Again O’Reilly comes in with a ferocity but is powerless beneath Gahan’s physicality.
23:02 Surprising a split decision but eh winner is Aiden Gahan.
23:03 In the red corner this Fight is Stephen Harper with “You’ve got a friend in me”. Hos opponent in Eoghan Rafferty, in the Bluecorner with “Roar”.
23:05: Raferty got the first two blows in and seems to have Harper on his toes. But the dominance changes a lot this round with both getting in blows.
23:07: Round 2: A lot of agility being shown by both boxers in this round with the majority of the blows being dodged. Raftery forced to the ground. He is now getting his back with some body blows and is forced into a corner by Harpur. the round ends with Raferty against the ropes.
23:10 : Round 3: Raferty comes in strong this round pushing Harpur around the ring. Soon Harpur has the tables turned.
23:12: And the winner, on a split decision, is Stephen Harpur in the red corner.
23:12: and the last fight between Aaron Clogher and Ciaran O’Connor. It’s President against Education.
23:12: Aaron is late it seems so we are going to the next bout. Richie Schuster in the red corner coming into the ring to “You sexy thing” His opponent Conor Smith comes into the blue corner to dubstep.
23:16; Blows exchanges back and forth evenly here. Schuster up against the ropes at one stage. Smith does have the height advantage, but it doesnt seem to be bothering Schuster.
23:18: Round 2: some really fast jabs being used by Schuster here. But he is being backed into the ropes by Smith.
23:21: Round 3; blows being evenly exchanged here. Smiths nose is bleeding. There have been a lot of face shots this round.
23: 24: A very close contest, a slipt decision. The winner is Richie Schuster in the red corner. The crowd seems also to be split with some boos to that result.
23:24: Aaron has arrived and enters the ring to “Brewing up a storm”. Cianran O’connor in the red corner to My lovley horse, With Lorna as the ring girl in Danny Dominos head and a pink dressing gown.
23:28 blows exchanged but a hint of s smile on each of their faces. Jaws in the background isnt helping. Ciaran also needs a belt.The crowd was expecting more aggression.
23:30: Round 2: a nice face shot by Clogher. Both seem to be getting a little more serious now.
23:31: Lorna hugs both competitors
23:32: Round 3: Aaron has a longer reach but doesn’t seem to be able to use it against O’Connor. Nice face shot by O’Connor followed by a hook.
23:34: The RAG committee has been called up on stage and are doing the Thank you’s. All the money from tonight will go towards all the social projects RRAG runs.
23:37: And the awards for the Most dedicated boxer, who has been to ever single training is Simon English. Laura Shiels is the winner of best overall boxer.
23:39: The result of Clogher vs O’Connor was proclaimed a draw. It looks like DCU wins.
23:40: That’s it folks,I hope you enjoyed it. Till next year.
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