Boxing
Irish fans create feverish atmosphere ahead of O’Leary vs. Chamberlain showdown
O'Leary vs. Chamberlain live on DAZN - Saturday
It felt like half of Dublin was packed into the Button Factory at Temple Bar, as Pierce O’Leary came face to face with Mark Chamberlain ahead of their bout this weekend. Adam Smith, the voice of boxing, was stoking the already electric crowd. The energy was evident before either fighter even said a word, with Dubliners coming out in full force, packing out every seat, in anticipation of Saturday’s firefight at the 3Arena
Pierce O'Leary wasn’t fazed by his overwhelming support. Fans were leaning over the balcony to express their admiration for the Irishman. Cool, calm and collected, he promised to entertain the crowd. Humbled by his support, he explained how there was “nothing like fighting in Dublin” before turning his attention to Mark Chamberlain, promising to “do a proper job on him,” which was received by an eruption from the crowd. He fed off the energy of the crowd, without being consumed by it. O'Leary didn’t need to talk too much, he didn’t need to sell the fight, Dublin was already sold.
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Across the other side of the table, sat Mark Chamberlain. No army of supporters behind him. Just a handful of vocal team members in the crowd. He didn’t seem to need a crowd of support, he was focussed on the task at hand, and didn’t let the crowd get to him. Despite staring at the lion’s den, he maintained that he had been here before and told the Irish crowd that O’Leary would not be seeing the final bell.
Despite the animated, one-sided crowd, both men shared a genuine respect for each other, crediting the other’s accolades and skills throughout. When they came face to face, that respect remained. No pushing, no shoving, no drama, just two fighters staring at each other, ready to put on a show, worthy of the atmosphere Dublin had brought.
As the press conference finished and O’Leary left, the crowd dispersed almost instantly. Within minutes the Button Factory had turned from a wall of noise, to a near empty venue ready for the weigh-in Friday evening.
If Saturday is anything like this, then we are in for a special night.
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