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Irishman Dennis Hogan is set to defend his IBO Super-Welterweight World Title against James Metcalf in Dublin, Ireland on Saturday, May 20th. The fight will take place on the undercard of Katie Taylor’s undisputed clash with Chantelle Cameron, which is set to be a huge homecoming event for Taylor.
Hogan, who is based in Newstead, Australia, returns home to fight in Ireland for the first time in his professional career. He heads into his maiden defense of the IBO 154lbs Title on a three-fight winning streak, most recently outpointing Sam Eggington over 12 rounds at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre last October.
‘Hurricane’ Hogan (31-4-1, 7 KOs), who was born in Kildare, Ireland, controversially lost out on points to Mexico’s Jaime Munguia in a challenge for the WBO Super-Welterweight World Title in April 2019. He then jumped up to middleweight to take on WBC World Champion Jermall Charlo in his next fight, but was stopped in seven rounds by the undefeated Texas fighter.
Liverpool’s James Metcalf (24-2, 15 KOs) halted Brooklyn’s Carl Pennington in six rounds at the First Direct Arena in Leeds last time out in December, in what was the first defense of his WBA Continental Super-Welterweight Title. That win followed on from his impressive career-best showing against Kerman Lejarraga at the Bilbao Arena in Spain last summer.
The former Commonwealth and WBC International Super-Welterweight Champion, son of Liverpool fight legend Shea ‘Shamrock Express’ Neary, rejuvenated his career by outpointing hometown hero Lejarraga, a two-weight European Champion, in an excellent display of patience and boxing IQ. Metcalf’s only defeats in the professional ranks have come at the hands of Bermondsey’s Ted Cheeseman in a jaw-dropping battle for the vacant British Title in Gibraltar in March 2021, and Northampton’s Kieron Conway at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool in October 2021.
Hogan expressed his excitement for the opportunity to defend his title and return to Ireland to fight for the first time as a professional. He called it a “truly special moment” to be on the card with Irish superstar Katie Taylor.
Metcalf, who has always wanted to fight in Ireland, sees this as a dream come true. He considers Hogan a “really good fighter and a genuine world top 10,” and expects the fight to be tough and cagey at times, but ultimately catch fire and provide fans with a great fight.
Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn spoke highly of both fighters, noting Hogan’s history of taking on tough opponents and Metcalf’s resilience in bouncing back from his two defeats. He expects the fight to be another fantastic war for the May 20 event in Dublin, which will be broadcast live around the world on DAZN.