BUA Boxing duo Timmy Egan and Declan Friel were both victorious last Friday on the 10th edition of FDNY’s “Thrilla in Camilla” card at St. Camillus Church in Rockaway Beach, Queens. Egan outpointed Bronx firefighter Oliver Patrouch in their 165-pound scrap while Friel recorded his first amateur win with a commanding performance over emergency medical technician Patrick McKeown in the 158-pound division.
“Yeah, the two boys done well. They both trained hard the last couple of weeks,” said Donal Ward, BUA Boxing gym proprietor and head trainer.
Last seen in action in the MSG Ring Masters’ 165-pound Elite division semi-finals in the spring where he lost to the nationally ranked Carmine Gentile, Egan earned props from Ward for a strong showing this time around.
“He was very controlled -- back to his boxing and back to his counter punching, making [Patrouch] miss,” said Ward. “He started the first round well, put the pressure on him, landed a few big shots, especially the back hand and then he went to work inside, making him miss and counter punching.”
“I felt good, you know. I trained well,” Egan told the Echo. “I've been training since my last fight. I hit him with a couple of good shots. I was in control all the time, which was nice. It was nice to be back.”
Egan, a Queens resident out of Dundalk, was appearing on the “Thrilla in Camilla” card for the second year running. He was a points winner over the FDNY’s Andrew Tanzi in 2025. Overall, the victory over Patrouch was his 16th fight.
The 32-year-old Egan was also the 2025 Ring Masters’ 165-pound Novice champion.
A year after venturing into the BUA Boxing gym in Astoria, Queens, to lose weight, Friel was celebrating a resounding win on his third try as a boxer.
“I’m delighted for Declan, too,” said Ward. “He’s only been training for a year – mebbe seriously sparring and training for about six months, so the first two fights were probably a bit soon. And they were against more experienced fighters.
“Right from the first bell, he set the tone [against McKeown]. He landed some big shots and gave his opponent a standing count in the first round. He dominated the whole fight. He worked off his jab, landed the jab very well, he landed big backhands and left hooks.”
“It was a good fight,” Friel, from Donegal, summed up. “I was happy with the outcome. I got the win [and] scored an eight-count in the first round.”
Still, he felt that he could have done even better.
“I could have stuck to boxing,” he noted. “I started loading up with some heavy punches, where I should have just used my jab more and listened to my coaches more. But overall, I'm happy. My fitness was good.”
Ward thanked Matthew Tinker, a former pro, who helped the two BUA fighters in training camp and worked their corner alongside Ward.
