ENNISKILLEN pro boxer Rhys Owens could be “stepping up to championship level” within the next two years, according to his coach, Sean Crowley.
‘Lights Out’ Owens enjoyed a 2025 to remember, by becoming the first professional boxer from Fermanagh in over 50 years, following in the footsteps of local man Gordon Ferris.
With the support of his new management of Jamie Conlan and Jason Quigley, Owens enjoyed two major bouts, in Letterkenny and in Belfast.
The Enniskillen man got his pro career off to the perfect start with a stoppage victory over Romanian Stefan Nicolae in Letterkenny, in jubilant scenes, in front of 200 odd supporters from Fermanagh.
Owens then overpowered Mexican boxer Jorge Luis Huerta Balleza at the Devenish Complex in Belfast during the hugely popular and successful ‘Bragging Rights’ bout.
With 2026 just around the corner, Crowley, who is Owens’ coach, is expecting more big things from the Fermanagh boxer.
“I’m with the Ireland High Performance Unit for the foreseeable but we’ll see what happens,” Crowley explained.
“I’m looking after Rhys [Owens] too and we’ll see where we are in two years time. If he makes the progress and things go to plan, in two years time, he could be stepping up to championship level.
“That could put a challenge on the demands of my time and I might have to consider what my loyalties are, but at the moment, I can balance the club, Rhys and the job.”
