Crowe takes defeat on the chin – now for the real battle

 Cllr Crowe was the only public representative to take part in the Galway Big Heart Fight Night white collar boxing event in the Radisson Blu Hotel.

The event raised about €30,000 for the Irish Heart Foundation and every cent of that will be spent on services and support in the  Galway/Mayo region, according to the IHF Regional Manager, Toni Burke.

Michael was philosophical after the fight, saying his opponent, a man he knew when he was a boy, was the deserving winner on the night.

“I learned a lot over the training of the past two months. I wasn’t afraid of the training having been a rower but I knew nothing about boxing. But I have now developed a healthy respect for the sport as there’s more to it than how hard and how often you punch.

“It’s as much about strategy as it is about using your fists,” said the Fianna Fáil, who fighting name on the night was The Whistleblower. His opponent was Kenneth ‘Beef Cake’ Folman.

Like the other fighters, Michael trained under Pete Foley who runs the Black Dragon Kickboxing Gym on the Tuam Road.

“It’s been an interesting two months and I admire Pete for being able to train some of us to get into better shape. We can do a lot more sit-ups now than we did when we started . . .  and it’s all for a good cause, as heart disease is one of the biggest killer diseases in Ireland,” he said.

He said the three bouts of one and a half minutes each seemed a lot longer when he was in the ring. He said he was only getting into his stride when the fight was over.

“There were a few bloody noses and black eyes – badges of honour says Pete – but neither me nor Kenneth got injured.

“Raising funds is the key part of the event and hopefully, it will also raise awareness,” he added.

Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel