DUBLIN, Ireland -- The touring U.S. boxing team Friday lost its second meet in three nights, by a 6-5 margin to Ireland.
In the bouts held at the National Stadium, the Irish dominated the lighter weights while the Americans came back in the upper classes.
The Americans had lost 7-5 to England on Wednesday.
The Irish boxers started off with three consecutives victories, in flyweights where Gerry Duddy outpointed Bill Hackmer of Lockport, N.Y., and two in bantamweights, where Paul Fitzgerland decisioned Mario Lesperance of Vallejo, Calif., and Roy Webb won over Darryl Loving of Rochester, N.Y., when Loving was disqualified in the second round.
The U.S. came back with two wins, at featherweight where Joe Loving, Darryl's brother, won on a technical knockout in the first round over Gary Duff, and at lightweight, as Joe Belinc of Marysville, Wash., decisioned Paul Larkin.
But the Irish clinched the win by taking the next three bout. Light-welterweight Willie Walsh TKO'd Ricky Young in the third round, welterweight Keiran Joyce outpointed Joe Walker of Akron, Ohio, and light-middleweight Sam Storey decisioned Tyrone Gaynor of San Diego.
The Americans closed out with three victories: middleweight Richard Burton of New York decisioned John Pheonix; light-heavyweight Edwin Cruz of Brooklyn, N.Y., outpointed John Thornton, and heavyweight Mark Mahone of the Navy TKO'd Dave Mitchell in the first round.
