Second World title for John Donoghue
At just 18, John Donoghue has already established himself among the outstanding young boxers in the world, adding a second World title to his impressive collection after winning gold at the World Boxing Championships in Budva, Montenegro.
The Olympic Boxing Club Mullingar boxer now boasts three European titles and two World crowns, having previously won the U17 World Championship. He was back at the Mullingar club on Friday, reflecting on his latest triumph.
Victory came in the 70kg final against Kazakhstan’s Bibarys Ashirbay, as he secured a 5-0 victory in a bout that was level going into the final round.
The judges scored the contest 28-29, 28-29, 28-29, 28-29, with Donoghue producing the performance when it mattered most.
However, behind the gold medal was an intense period of preparation; with the young boxer determined to arrive in Montenegro in the best possible shape.
“The tournament was very good. I went out, I was very sharp, I prepared very well for it. I was ready for the competition.
“It didn’t really matter what country was in front of me, I was ready for them.”
Donoghue explained that the Irish team completed an intensive training programme in the lead-up to the competition, with the work in Abbotstown proving particularly demanding.
“We trained, we had a six-week camp before the Europeans. We’d done the Europeans, and then we had a week break and straight back into another six-week camp. Up every Saturday in the Olympic Sports Centre, Abbotstown, Dublin. It was top-class training, getting you super, super fit,” he revealed.
“Those assault bikes, they’d kill you! Thanks to Eoin Pluck and Gary Kehoe, the Irish coaches, you have all them up there that were training us very, very hard. The whole team was very fit, in great shape for the competition.”
Donoghue’s route to the final was a demanding one, taking on opponents from some of the strongest boxing nations in the world.
“I beat Belarus in my first fight. In my second fight it was Israel, in my third fight Hungary, and in my fourth fight Armenia. In the final it was the best boxing country in the world, Kazakhstan,” he explained.
There were several major names in the competition, with Donoghue well aware of the challenge ahead.
“Russia had a very good boxer, there was me, there was Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. I was going in as European champion and I was the U17 World Champion,” he remarked.
With those achievements came considerable expectations, but Donoghue was determined to handle the pressure.
“There’s big pressure because you’re coming back from winning a European title. Everyone’s watching you out there and they’re all like, ‘John Donoghue is going to do this, that and the other.’ So you kind of have high expectations,” he said.
Support from Olympic Boxing Club coach Johnny Joyce was also crucial throughout the tournament, with the pair remaining in close contact before each bout.
“He was ringing me before every fight, making sure I wasn’t messing around, making sure my weight was good. He was watching every minute. He was telling me what I was doing wrong, what I was doing right, telling me the game plan,” John recalled.
“Before the final he called me for 25 minutes, explaining the same thing over and over again, just to kind of get me up for the fight.”
The preparation paid off, although Donoghue admitted he was nervous heading into the final.
“It worked even though I was very nervous for the final, to be honest,” he admitted.
His determination was further tested in the semi-final, when he sustained a serious hand injury that could easily have derailed his chances.
“I fractured my right hand in the semi-final. I won the first round 5-0, I won the second round 4-1, but halfway through it I hurt my hand. I went back to the corner and I was just like, ‘I’m only going to have to box with one hand.’ I went out and, to be fair, your man was pushing the pace on me because I was only using my jab, but I still managed to get through the fight,” he revealed.
Winners find ways to win, and Donoghue certainly demonstrated that mentality.
“I knew it was injured going into the final, but I knew once I won the first round, the adrenaline kicked in. I forget about the pain,” he said.
“I was feeling it after. I couldn’t shake anyone’s hand or nothing. They probably thought I was ignorant, but I just couldn’t.”
The moment he was crowned World Champion and heard the national anthem was one he will never forget.
“It was great. It’s unbelievable, especially when it means so much and you have your mother and your brothers there watching, so it’s unreal,” he recalled.
With another major title secured, Donoghue’s attention is already turning to the next challenge: the Irish Elite Championships in January.
“January and the Irish Elites is the next challenge. It’s bigger than the World Championships,” he noted.
Victory in January opens a path to Olympic qualification and that's the ultimate target.
“I’ll be the youngest in the weight, 70kg. But if you’re good enough, you’re good enough. I’d probably be one of the favourites, but I don’t see it that way. I always see myself as an underdog,” he said.
The Elite championships take place in the second week of January at the National Stadium, and they will mark Donoghue’s first appearance at adult level.
“The head guard comes off. I’ll be ready,” he enthused.
“I want to go to the Olympics before I turn pro or anything. I’m going to take a little break now, and then everything’s towards that.”
Donoghue and coach Johnny Joyce, and the other Olympic boxers who are in the Elites, will also travel to Uzbekistan in December for a training camp, providing another important step in his preparation.
“It’ll be ideal preparation before the Elites,” enthused John.
“We’re going over for a training camp. What better preparation than going over to one of the top countries in the world for boxing? It’ll be great. When I turn elite, I box any age, so it doesn’t matter.”
But before the next challenge comes a well-earned break following a gruelling preparation for the World Championships.
With two World titles, three European crowns and Olympic ambitions firmly in his sights, Donoghue’s success in Montenegro is another major milestone in a career that is only just beginning.