For the last ten years Cork boxers, male and female, from underage right up to elite, have enjoyed phenomenal national boxing success

Muhammad Ali, the 1960 Olympic heavyweight boxing gold medalist who shared a dressing room at the Rome Games with Cork boxer and fellow Olympian Paddy Kenny, went on to richly deserve the universal accolade of being acknowledged as, the world's greatest sporting personality of all time.            

Ali, or Cassius Clay which was his name during his amateur days, went on to also become an outstanding ambassador for the sport of boxing. 

In most boxing club's in Cork today, and throughout Ireland and all over the world, big colour posters of Muhammad Ali proudly adorn the walls of gym's and training halls.  

Today, in a very competitive sports world there are huge super stars attached to all sports. 

However, to the mindful within boxing in Ireland today, if marketed properly the boxing club's in Cork and all over Ireland can benefit hugely from the success achieved by our own Olympic boxers.     

The sport of amateur boxing is Ireland's most successful Olympic sport, at this stage no one is surprised to hear this as, we have heard it over and over again, but what have the boxing powers that be done?  

Well, in this writers opinion, they have done nothing of any major benefit for the sport. 

It would appear that, the magnitude of the success achieved by the athletes has not been grasped or appreciated or maybe diluted through begrudgery by a small cohart of Irish boxing's perished orphan's.    

Ireland's three Olympic boxing champion's, Michael Carruth, the first Irish boxer to win gold 1992, Katie Taylor, the first female boxer to win gold at London 2012, and the third and current double Olympic gold medalist, the great Kellie Harrington. 

For the last ten years Cork boxers, male and female, from underage right up to elite, have enjoyed phenomenal national boxing success. 

It has been without any doubt the greatest decade in the history of Cork boxing. 

Sadly, however these athletes from Cork entered a stadium whose hallways were bereft of Olympic spirit or success, whose walls were gray idle and bare, in short this was a place which had become a space devoid even of a Rocky music tuned atmosphere. 

There were no statues, there were no busts, there were not even life size card board cutouts of our Olympic champions. 

Is it any wonder then why Ireland's most successful Olympic sport could not attract a major sponsor?

These lads with narrow or tunnel vision should now make way for others and give those with a proper perspective an opportunity to bring Irish boxing back to the future.    

The IABA now trading as Boxing Ireland will hold the AGM, on 3rd October next. 

The Cork County Boxing Board will submit a number of motions for discussion, however, while a lot of fundamental changes needs to take place urgently and many new and progressive initiatives need to be introduced rapidly, it must be said that since the arrival of the new CEO, Gary Stuart, who is working in tandem with the National President Anto Donnelly progress is being made. 

This must be both acknowledged and welcomed but overall Boxing Ireland is in need of major surgery.      

Meanwhile, last week's published details of the three-day Cork Boxing festival has received a massive positive response. 

This event has stirred the immediate attention from both the Cork boxing public and further afield. 

A number of enquiries came also from parts of England and Wales. 

In recent weeks the amount of boxing enquiries received from people who had family members involved in the sport is staggering. 

This renaissance is also fueled by the huge numbers visiting the Cork Boxing Wall of Fame in Bishop Lucey Park. 

The Cork Ex-Boxers Association, under the stewardship of its new president Dan O'Connell, has commissioned the creation of a new comprehensive website. 

This will be a combination of Cork boxing events, complemented by an extensive range of photos featuring many bygone days and pugalistic endevours from yesteryear. 

Conal Thomas, as the president of the Cork Boxing Fraternity Association, has indicated that he will continue with the promotions and boxing breakfasts and medal presentations. 

Conal was also very active in his support of Cork's young professional boxers. 

Their are now seven boxers on the pro circuit, all of whom at one stage or another were sponsored by Conal. 

In conjunction with the advise of his accountant he has now closed his sponsorship link with Cork professional boxing, and he is looking forward to continuing to promote the work of the Fraternity Association. 

Elsewhere, details will be released next week of a Cork v Louth senior boxing tournament which will take place on Saturday, 24th October with the venue being the Na Piarsaigh GAA complex. 

This will be a first class show and the details will reveal the many other facets to a great day's boxing.