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WATCH: How is Billy Walsh making waves in the USA?

During Billy Walsh's tenure as head of Irish boxing's High Performance Unit, success became a con...



WATCH: How is Billy Walsh maki...
Other Sports

WATCH: How is Billy Walsh making waves in the USA?

During Billy Walsh's tenure as head of Irish boxing's High Performance Unit, success became a constant with the high points of medal hauls at Olympic Games as well as European and World Championships.

This October, we will be approaching two years since Walsh left his role in Ireland and took up a position within the ranks of amateur boxing in the USA, where he is intent on leading their fighters to greater success.

And from Michael Foley's interview with Walsh in today's Sunday Times, it looks like his positive impact is really being felt.

That piece caught Gary O'Toole's eye on the Sunday Paper Review on Off The Ball alongside The Daily Edge's Amy O'Connor and host Joe, as he went on to lavish praise on the Wexford man.

"We went to the Olympics together back in the late '80s and a super, super guy, so softly spoken, just goes about his business," he said of Walsh.

"He talked to Michael and he said when he got to America first, they didn't understand his accent. Sometimes I had that problem too but he eventually won them over. He says, 'The future remains challenging but now it's full of possibilities. The Olympic squad have all turned professional since Rio which is amazing. Of the six boxers qualified for the men's World Championship next month, four were in high school this year. The other two are 19 and 20.'"

O'Connor also picked out aspects from the piece which highlight how Walsh has sought to adapt both from a boxing point of view but also in a cultural sense to understand his fighters.

You can watch that segment of the Paper Review:

O'Toole and O'Connor also discussed Usain Bolt as the World Athletics Championships arrive on the horizon, as well as stories from the paper regarding hurling and Croke Park stadium.

You can listen back to the full Paper Review on the podcast player or stream/download on iTunes.

WATCH: How is Billy Walsh making waves in the USA?

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