The sport of boxing received a substantial profile boost here this week as Ireland's three Olympic medal winners, Kenny Egan, Paddy Barnes and Darren Sutherland, arrived home from Beijing to a hero's welcome following their spectacular successes.

For three Cork-based boxers however, potential glory at Beijing was sacrificed in order to concentrate on achieving success within the professional ranks, the task of which begins at the Neptune Stadium, Cork on Saturday, September 13.

Mike Perez, Luis Garcia and Alexei Acosta, Cuban born and bred, but now based in Cork, are three former World Junior Champions with some notable successes already under their collective belts, including victories against a number of Beijing Olympic medal winners.

Perez, who defected to Cork in 2007, turned professional this year under Cuban coach Nicholas Cruz Hernández, who himself came to Ireland in 1988. Since turning pro Perez, whoo fights in the heavyweight division, has racked up four wins from four, three of which came within the first round. His fellow compatriots, Garcia and Acosta, are set to make their competitive bows at the 'Celtic Crossing' fight night on September 13, having spurned the opportunity to partake in the Olympics this year. Acosta beat Andry Laffita in this years Cuban championships but surrendered his Olympic berth to pursue his professional ambitions. Laffita went on to take his place and subsequently won Olympic Silver in the flyweight final in Beijing.

Garcia easily outpointed middleweight representative Emilio Correa by 13 points to 3 in their last meeting but Correa still ended up on the plane to China, due to ‘the politics of amateur boxing', according to Garcia's new manager, Cork businessman Gary Hyde, who brought all three boxers to Leeside.

"I first saw Mike Perez in Liverpool in 2005 when he beat Kenneth Egan in a light heavyweight bout. He was only 19 at the time but his speed and power stood out and I knew then that this was a man who with the right guidance could become the heavyweight champion of the world. We've all been proud of Kenny's tremendous performance in the Olympics and I think his achievements in Beijing underlines just how much potential Perez has. I've no doubt he will bring the world heavyweight title back to Cork."

He has equally high hopes for Garcia and Acosta. "Alongside Mike Perez these were the other two guys who caught my eye in recent years. I think they are made for the pro game and I've no doubt both of them would have taken Gold in Beijing had they not been more interested in turning pro. The politics in amateur boxing denied Luis a place in Bejing because Correa's father was a Gold medallist in 1972 and he still has huge influence in Cuban boxing. I've no doubt that Garcia would have taken Gold but equally I've no doubt that he can now become World Middleweight Champion."

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