John Paul Hale to make pro boxing debut in Belfast with Michael Conlan as manager

The 25-year-old turns over on 27 November at The Devenish, having ended his amateur career with an opening-round defeat at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Belfast's John Paul Hale will box professionally for the first time at The Devenish on 27 November, with former amateur world champion Michael Conlan guiding his career.

Hale, 25, won the Irish Elite title in 2021, collected six Ulster titles and competed at the 2022 and 2026 Commonwealth Games. He will initially campaign at welterweight and remain based at Star ABC in the New Lodge area of north Belfast.

He said there was no temptation to stay amateur and chase a place at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He had considered turning over two years ago but stayed on for one more shot at the Commonwealth Games.

That ended in the opening round in Glasgow in July, when he lost to England's Patris Mughalzai after being docked two points to his opponent's one. Hale, who said he had beaten Mughalzai before, felt the referee took the bout away from him and made a one-finger salute to the officials. Conlan made the same gesture after his defeat by Vladimir Nikitin at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, a result that caused outrage and helped set in motion the downfall of AIBA, then the sport's amateur governing body.

World Boxing oversaw the Commonwealth Games, but Hale believes some of the old problems remain. He said: “I don't feel it has changed even though there has been the transition to World Boxing.” He cited the case of Jude Gallagher at the Games and said a few Scottish fighters had also been on the end of bad decisions.

Conlan, a two-time professional title challenger, now brings that experience to Hale's corner of the sport. Hale said: “It's class to have him on board because he knows a lot about pro boxing and it's great to have someone like him with that knowledge behind me.” The Devenish hosted the debut of current world super-featherweight champion Anthony Cacace, and former world title challenger James Tennyson built his career there. Hale said he would rather start at the bottom and build himself up than be overwhelmed by too much too early, adding: “If I perform, the bigger venues and nights will come.”

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