Many questions have been raised following the planned departure of Billy Walsh from the High Performance Unit of Irish boxing and his resignation as head coach, but, other than their Monday evening statement, the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) are remaining silent.
While that silence may appear deafening, there does appear to be some good reason for their seemingly stubborn stance.
It is believed the association’s officials are limited in what they can say about Walsh’s contractual situation as any wrong word could leave the IABA vulnerable to a potential legal case.
Although there is no suggestion of Walsh attempting to take a case of constructive dismissal, it is believed that he is seeing out his one-month notice through holiday entitlements and the IABA are unlikely to talk about any specifics in regards to why a deal could not be done to retain the coach’s services.
Still, many other questions remain.
What’s next for Walsh?
The 52-year-old is set to take up a coaching position with the United States and is due to fly to America tomorrow. While Walsh will take in the US’s Olympic Trials in Memphis, he is set to be based in Colorado Springs. The Olympic trials will be his first scouting mission before returning to Ireland to plan his long-term move.
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The Wexford man, a native of Wolfe Tone Villas and a former milkman who has helped Irish boxing become a global power, will first work in a coaching position with the US women’s team before attempting to wake what he has previously referred to as ‘the sleeping giant’ of amateur boxing – the US men’s team.
Who will replace him?
A very uncertain prospect, but it seems likely that the IABA will advertise internationally for the role, despite the fact that many high-profile boxers such as Paddy Barnes , the two-times Olympic medal winner, and Michael Conlan, the world champion, would like to see an ‘in-house’ replacement for Walsh.
Michael’s father and club coach, John, a Dubliner based in Belfast, is a popular choice among the Ulster boxers he has helped to Commonwealth success, but other Irish coaches could also be in the running.
Eddie Bolger, regular coach to Joe Ward, is highly rated by the Irish team, while technical coach Zaur Antia is hailed by numerous boxers as the main man behind Ireland’s ability to compete with the best in the world.
The fact that English is not Georgian native Antia’s first language has been noted as a distinct disadvantage to him getting the job, but it does seem possible that he could be an interim candidate for the role, especially considering the high esteem in which he is held by the boxers.
An intriguing sideshow to the saga could be the possibility of Walsh attempting to recruit some of his former colleagues to work alongside him in his new role – something the Wexford man refused to rule out. Antia would appear to be the most likely target.
How will the boxers react?
With mixed emotions. Already the likes of Barnes, Conlan and Olympic champion Katie Taylor have gone on the record to express their sadness at Walsh’s imminent departure, but some also hold a view that they are now able to compete at the highest level no matter who their coach is.
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That is a slightly short-term view, however.
While Antia is seen as the brains behind the vast technical improvement, Walsh has been essentially doing the job of at least two men since Gary Keegan (one of the HP founders) left the set-up around 2008. The Wexford man is seen as an organiser, communicator and man manager as well as a coach, and his absence leaves some big shoes to fill.
His departure will also be a major blow to boxers who are not yet at elite level; while Barnes and Co may be consistently competing at the highest level, Walsh was the man who helped to keep the conveyor belt of talent running and younger boxers who are now aiming to compete at senior level may not experience as seamless a transition as those who graduated under Walsh’s watch.
Can Irish boxing survive?
The IABA party line from CEO Fergal Carruth went some way to answering the association’s attitude to that. “The IABA is confident of the continuing success of our elite boxing athletes as they prepare for next year’s Olympic Games,” said Carruth in the IABA statement that followed Walsh’s resignation.
In short, it seems obvious that the sport will not wither and die following the departure of one man, but Walsh’s contribution should not be underestimated, and the idea that a replacement can be brought in seamlessly, just nine months before Rio, is fanciful at best.
Team Ireland’s recent success at the World Championships, in claiming a record haul of three medals (including one gold for Conlan), is a fine example of how successful the HP Unit has been under Walsh. Prior to the foundation of the HP Unit, Ireland had won five world senior men’s medals from 1974; from 2003-2015, under the HP Unit, Ireland won eight more (including last week’s haul).