By Jonathan Brown
CASTLEWELLAN fighter Donagh Keary is set for his latest test on the professional circuit this Friday when he takes on Mexico’s Lakshmy Zaragoza Contreras on the undercard of Conlan Boxing’s Last Dance show at the Waterfront Hall.
The bill will be headlined by former IBO world champion Padraig McCrory, who brings down the curtain on his professional career in the evening’s final bout.
Keary, 21, enters the contest with a 5-1-0 record following a dominant 60-54 points victory over experienced journeyman Jake Pollard in February, also at the Waterfront Hall. He now steps up to another six-round assignment against Contreras.
Nicknamed ‘Guerrerito’ (Little Warrior), Contreras has been a professional since 2017 and holds a record of three wins, 19 defeats and two draws. Despite his record, Keary is taking no chances, having studied the Mexican’s recent performances closely.
He watched Contreras in action in Liverpool in May when the 28-year-old faced one of Keary’s sparring partners, Kurtis Wiggins, going the distance in a points defeat. Keary was ringside that night and believes there are openings to exploit.
“I thought he was strong in the first couple of rounds, but you can break him down,” he said. “He’s better than Pollard, he’ll throw a lot more punches and he opens up more. You’re more likely to stop someone like that, because he’s not just going to stand there. It’ll be a good six-round challenge.”
Following his February win, Keary took a short break before returning to full training camp, where he has sparred with former Celtic and Commonwealth silver flyweight title-holder Conor Quinn and Cookstown’s Teo Alin, the current BUI Celtic super-featherweight champion.
Alongside his camp schedule, the super-bantamweight has also been taking boxing classes at the Mourne Fitness gym in Newcastle on Wednesday and Friday evenings, as well as Saturday mornings.
Keary says the extra work is paying off as he continues to adapt to life in the professional ranks.
“I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in,” he said. “I’ve taken my recovery a lot more seriously in this camp, so I’m feeling a lot stronger and I’m now pacing myself a lot better. I feel like I’m starting to get the hang of it now after a year.”
Keary recorded his only stoppage win to date against veteran Lancashire boxer Steven Maguire in November 2025 and believes there is every chance of adding another knockout to his record on Friday night.
“There’ll be a good chance of it, but if I beat him over six rounds, I’ll be happy enough, as long as I box well,” he added.
Limited tickets for the event remain available via Donagh Keary’s social media pages, while the card will be broadcast live on DAZN. Keary is expected to make his ring walk between 8.30pm and 9pm.
