Mayo banger Henry Coyle has been added to the Andy Lee-Alex Bunema card at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, next Wednesday.
The Chicago-based Coyle, one of the hardest punching light middleweights in the business with 11 KOs in 14 wins [against two losses], returns to action some five weeks after a sixth round stoppage of William Prieto in Indiana last month.
By press time, his opponent in the scheduled eight-rounder on Hitz Boxing's "Rosemont Rumble" show had yet to be announced.
"I'm not sure myself who it will be but I'm in a very good place mentally and physically," the 29 year-old "Western Warrior" told the Echo on Sunday.
Coyle added that he was looking forward to bigger things in the next few months and possibly fighting in New York again.
He debuted in the Big Apple in March 2007 and had his first four fights in the paid ranks in New York but hasn't been back since a first round TKO of Robert Kimbrough in September 2007.
One of the Irish fighters inspired to move States-side by John Duddy's early ring exploits, Coyle chimed in on the Derry Destroyer's retirement early this year: "It's sad. He was good for Irish boxing."
Coyle is trained by Windy City legend Sam Colonna, whose star pupils in the past have included Polish heavyweight Andrew Golota and former world champions Angel Manfredy and Angel Hernandez.
DOUBLE SHOT
Andy Lee, meanwhile, could claim two titles should he defeat the veteran Alex "The Technician" Bunema in the "Rosemont Rumble" main event.
That's because the North American Boxing Association [NABA] middleweight belt will also be on the line along with the NABF title that was previously at stake.
Lee [25-1, 19 KOs] and the Congolese-born Bunema [31-7-2, 17 KOs] are scheduled to go ten rounds.
Tickets for the show are $100 ringside and $30 general admission. They are available through Ticketmaster, the Rosemont Theater Box Office or Fanfueled.com [search Hitz Boxing].
NEVIN TRIUMPHS
John Joe Nevin helped lead Paris United to victory against Kazakhstan's Astana Arlans in the first World Series of Boxing [WSB] team finals in Guiyang City, China, last weekend. The Cavan bantamweight was a unanimous points decision winner over Mirzhan Rakhimzhanov.
Nevin swept all five rounds in brilliant style to level the final 3-3 at that point. His teammates later produced three straight wins to win the two-night championship decider 6-4.
Nevin, who's 21, finished with a 4-2 record over the six months of the WSB team competition. The tournament featured 76 team matches among 12 worldwide franchises comprising over 200 boxers from 49 countries.
