Boxing: Darren Sutherland will now meet Bulgaria's Georgi Iliev when he makes his professional debut at DCU later this month. Iliev replaces compatriot Merdjitin Iuseinov who has been forced to withdraw with a shoulder injury.
Iliev, who is no stranger to these shores having knocked out Co Mayo's Keith Cresham within a round in July, may be coming to the party late but is confident of causing an upset against the Olympic bronze medal-winning middleweight.
"Sutherland will quickly learn that get hitting by a professional is different from the amateur code," claimed his manager Philippe Fondu.
"Iliev is a rough, tough kid from one of the worst areas of Bulgaria and cannot believe this opportunity has come. He can make a name for himself by beating Sutherland and is coming to win.
"If Sutherland wants to know about his power, he should call Cresham. Iliev has told me to expect another Irishman to be on the floor in seconds."
James DeGale, the man who ended Sutherland's Olympic dream, turned professional today and signed up with promoter Frank Warren.
Warren has also signed DeGale's British Olympic colleagues Billy Joe Saunders, and Frankie Gavin, whose dream of Beijing gold was shattered when he failed to make his required weight.
The three former amateurs will make their professional debuts in 2009.