Dunne’s historic O2 win

Bernard Dunne defied his critics last month when he became the new WBA Super-Bantamweight World Champion after defeating Ricardo Cordoba in an eleventh round knock-out.

It’s been described as one of the greatest fights to take place in Ireland, and the new O2 arena won’t host many epics like it again, unless the boxing patrons of Ireland come to witness a re-match.

Both men fought with zeal but it was the Panamanian, Cordoba, who eventually fell in the penultimate round even though he had sent Dunne crashing to the canvas in a frenzied fifth round.

Dunne had also slipped in the second round, but when the bell sounded for the third the fight erupted and Dunne banished the memories of his first round knockout to Kiko Martinez in August 2007.

By his own admission, Dunne was too cocky against Martinez, and it cost him the European title, but this time things were very different to his last fight on the edge of Dublin bay.

Yet it wasn’t until the eighth round that Dunne eventually took full control of the fight, but Cordoba still looked dangerous landing quick combinations that had the air of a champion.

Dunne matched his southpaw opponent with crushing blows that knocked the wind out of Corboda’s sails, but the champion came back out in the tenth with an invigorated sense of purpose.

Cordoba took control of that round, but Dunne kept his nerve as both men looked out on their feet, ready to drop with the next accurate hit, and it was the Neilstown boxer who delivered.

Eventually, in what turned out to be the final round of the fight, an exhausted Dunne sent the champion crashing, but he got up only to see the floor a few moments later, going down for the second time.

Cordoba fought valiantly to hear the bell signalling the end of the round but Dunne landed another heavy blow just before time and the referee called it quits before the champion hit the canvas for the third time.

The effects of dehydration caused Dunne to miss the post-fight press conference, and Cordoba spent the night under medical observation at Beaumont hospital for precautionary reasons – Dunne visited his bedside before any celebrations.
Meanwhile, DCU’s Beijing Olympian, Darren Sutherland, continued his development, winning his second professional fight by knockout early last March.

Sutherland defeated Belarusian fighter, Siarhei Navarka, in the third round at Robin Park in northern England.