By Jake Donovan

Jay Harris and Paddy Barnes are officially set to meet at the crossroads.

Wales’ Harris (16-0, 8KOs) fights in Northern Ireland for the first time as a pro, with the entirety of his career taking place in his home country as well as England. He enters on the heels of a 12-round virtual shutout of former title challenger Angel Moreno this past June in Cardiff, Wales.

Barnes (6-2, 1KO)—a three-time Irish Olympian—who won a bronze medal in 2008 Beijing and 2012 London—is barely three years into his pro career but already at red alert status after suffering back to back losses. The 32-year old was stopped in four rounds by then-flyweight titlist Cristofer Rosales last August at home in Belfast, followed by a more devastating defeat when he dropped a split decision to Oscar Mojica—who claimed just one victory in his previous five fights—earlier this year on St. Patrick’s Day in New York City.

A bounceback win in August was more about restoring Barnes’ confidence and allowing him a slot on a hometown card headlined by Michael Conlan.

The show will air live on ESPN+ in the United States and on IFL TV globally.


 
UNDERCARD

Sean McComb's latest trip to Ulster Hall proved out to be the toughest of his career. 

The unbeaten junior welterweight prospect overcame two cuts and his first trip to the canvas as a pro to claim an eight-round decision over a determined Emiliano Dominguez (23-6, 9KOs). Referee Hugh Russell Jr. was the lone scorer for the contest, turning in a 78-73 card of in favor of McComb (9-0, 4KOs).

Suggestions of a rough fight were evident right out the gate, as Argentina's Dominguez came forward with a throw-it-all-against-the-wall swarming fight style while

McComb never quite seemed to solve. The local southpaw was at his best when sticking to strictly boxing, but was forced to show his mettle when getting clipped by a right hand after leaving his chin in the air.

It looked to be a singular moment, as McComb gained control of the fight shortly thereafter. The lean prospect didn't shy away from a firefight, standing his ground on the inside and repeatedly scoring with looping body shots. Dominguez braved the attack well enough to dramatically turn the tide in round four. A raking right hook to the body caught McComb by surprise, absorbing the pain for a split second before dropping to a knee in a delayed reaction for the bout's lone knockdown.

The sequence gave Dominguez a world of confidence, as did the sight of blood as McComb was also forced to contend with cuts on the outer edge of both eyelids. Both boxers adjusted their game plans accordingly, which ultimately favored the local prospect.

McComb gained a sense of what was in front of him, alternating lateral movement with an inside attack to disrupt his opponent's rhythm. His mid-fight tactical switch was enough to swing the tide back in his favor. Dominguez continued to charge forward, smothering McComb's attack in the final two rounds but not enough to impact the final scores. 

It wasn't the explosive start enjoyed by fellow debutant Paddy Donovan, although Pierce 'Big Bang' O'Leary certainly made his pro debut a memorable night in his own way.

The 19-year old former amateur star from Dublin went the distance to register his first win, scoring a four-round decision over Oscar Amador. Referee Paul McCullaugh was the lone scorer, awarding O'Leary a 40-36 nod on his card.

The action was one way yet lively throughout the junior welterweight affair. Amador—a 25-year old Nicaraguan based out of Spain—pressed forward throughout the contest but was unable to get the upper hand. O'Leary (1-0, 0KOs) seemed to enjoy the aggressive pace, riding a wave of emotion from the rabid crowd on hand. It was more than enough to propel him to the finish line, while Amador will have to look elsewhere to snap what is now a 16-fight losing streak.

Sean Duffy continues to develop in his first year as a pro, remaining unbeaten following a four-round win over Martin Tellez. Referee Paul McCallaugh was the lone scorer, turning in a 40-36 card for Keany, Northern Ireland's Duffy.

The bout never figured to be competitive, but Tellez (12-58-5, 6KOs) did his part to make things as uncomfortable as possible. The 25-year old from Gerona, Spain by way of La Concepcion, Nicaragua was a one-trick pony with his overhand right—mostly launched towards the back of Duffy's head before finally being warned of the infraction. From there, it was smooth sailing for Duffy (3-0, 1KO), who controlled the tempo through steady one-two combinations in a bout which didn't feature any knockdowns or momentum shifts.

Former amateur standout Paddy Donovan enjoyed an explosive pro debut, scoring a one-punch 1st round knockout of Mexico's Arturo Lopez (5-13-3, 0KOs) in their welterweight bout which opened the livestream. 

Donovan (1-0, 1KO) came into the fight with his expectations, as the 20-year old rookie from Limerick, Ireland is a 13-time national amateur champion among his 161-5 overall record. He trained for six hard rounds in the paid ranks, but needed just 76 seconds to get the job done. The rangy southpaw was patient at the start, measuring up Lopez—a late replacement for Sergio Torres who was pulled from the card due to visa issues—while keeping the action at center ring. A clean left hand caught Lopez clean, putting him flat on the back. The visiting boxer was barely able to get his head off the canvas before laying back down as he was counted out.

The official time was 1:16 of round one.

Donovan—who is trained by his hometown hero, former middleweight champion Andy Lee—is due to return to the ring on a Nov. 16 ESPN+ card in Glasgow, Scotland

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox