As Ray Moylette laces up the gloves for the final time, it's fitting that Castlebar will play host to the Islandeady man. The event titled 'Once Upon A Time In The West' takes place on Saint Patrick's Day on Sunday, and has gained significant traction in recent weeks adding a huge name to its line up in former WBC Interim Heavyweight Champion Dillian Whyte.
Whyte, who last fought and beat Jermaine Franklin in 2022 has faced some of the most notorious heavyweights of this generation with Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Derek Chisora all on his resumé. The 34-year-old British fighter will face German Christian Hammer on the night. There are other big names on the undercard in Gary 'Spike' O'Sullivan, as well as up and comers Daniel O'Sullivan and Thomas Carty. It is set to be brilliant night of boxing at the TF Royal in Castlebar.
Moylette will face Welshman Jake Tinklin on Sunday night in his final fight. Although, he has a contrasting feeling from his previous bouts.
I'm nervous, and I'm anxious. Ya know especially with it being the last time."
Ya know, every boxer gets nervous before he fights but I suppose I would be a bit more anxious a couple weeks out from the fight more than anything. Maybe because it is my last, it definitely feels different."
However, he is very confident he'll have his hand raised in his last match up.
Ya look it, I know enough about him. He's not a world beater I don't rate him that highly. He's okay, he's a formidable opponent but I wanted better."
Ya know I should be beating this guy handy enough and ya know if I'm not able to beat this guy then I should've been retired a few years ago. Dylan Kelly beat him a couple weeks ago they were building it as a very big fight and he was the best around at that point, but like I'm not building it like that, there was far better that I wanted.
Ya know that's the difference between me and the likes of Dylan Kelly. It's a big fight for him but only an average one for me."
On the event itself, the Mayo native is delighted to have such a distinguished card in Castlebar. He believes it will showcase the best of what Irish boxing has to offer.
Ya know it's the stuff of dreams to have one of the biggest heavyweights in the world, fighting alongside him on the same card."
I don't think people actually believe me because I play a lot of practical jokes and mess a lot, but this time its for real. He'll be down here hopefully on Thursday and it will be all gung-ho from there.
This is one of the strongest cards in Irish boxing."
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Moylette, had a distinguished amateur career winning gold at the 2008 Youth World Championships and at the 2011 European Championships. He turned pro in 2017 and has a 12-0-1 record up to this point. His only loss came at the TF Royal back in 2018, against Mexican Christian Uruzquieta.
When asked to sum up his own career, Moylette is proud of what he achieved although he still harbours certain regrets.
I dunno really. Ya know, I've won a lot, I've won Irish titles coming up through the ranks. I won a World Junior Championshipa back in 2008, I won the Irish Senior Championship in 2010, I won the European Senior Championship in 2011.
But ultimately, my career is a bit shadowed over by missing out on the Olympic Games. Ya know, that's what I set out to do and I ultimately didn't do that.
But boxings been very good to me over the years and I've learnt a lot from it, I've travelled the world really. I'd 8 fights over in Boston I was hanging around with Micky Ward. I was over sparring Anthony Crolla former World Champion in Manchester.
Ya know, I've seen a lot of things and seen a lot of places but I missed out on the olympic games and it was very hard to recover from that."
For Moylette, the chance to fight in front of his own people for one last time coupled with the quality involved in the event is the perfect send off.
It means everything."
Things are always more special when you've friends and family around, it makes everything worthwhile."
The west of Ireland would never have seen the likes of this calibre coming to the town and I'm just happy to be a part of it."
