Battle of Woodquay - Galway

Two ProKick fighters made impressive showings last week at the last major kickboxing event in the west of Ireland this year. Fran ‘Superkick’ Spence scored a notable victory taking the scalp of local girl Ann Conneely in their Atomweight contest. Stephanie Wilson, though, just missed out as the judges in her contest gave the bout to local girl Yvonne Sheedy.

Victory was especially sweet for the plucky Spence. She has been out of the fight game for three years, recovering from a nasty, debilitating illness. Now, she has the fire back in her belly and the strength to match her undoubted natural ability, she should be challenging for titles soon, said her coach.
"I’m delighted for Fran," said former world champ Billy Murray. "Through the dark days of her illness, she kept saying she would be back. As soon as got the all-clear, she was training in the ring and has taken her first victory in great fashion. With ability and hunger like hers, the sky is the limit."

Murray also paid tribute to Wilson, who took the fight at 48 hours notice.
"I thought she did enough to earn at least a draw," he said. "But I'm pleased for her because she fought well and she showed good spirit, used a good variety of techniques and has promise for the future."
Both women now go back to training for fights in the new year.

The Galway event, a show for novices and first-timers, was promoted by Peter Foley and his Black Dragon kickboxing association.

Meanwhile, KICKmas is coming - Tickets for the Ulster hall showdown are vailable on the ProKick Ticket hotline: 028 90651074. They cost £15 - £25 or £40 for a family ticket (two adults, two children)