And just like that, it was all over. All those months of debating, arguing and predicting. The taunting, training and trash-talking. All put to bed with one devastating swoop of Carl Froch’s right hand.

The left hand crashed square into Lucien Bute’s face, snapping his head back at the neck, but it was the preceding right, thrown from Carl Froch’s hip, which sent the most disturbing shudder through the young Canadian’s body.

CORK’S adopted Cubans, Luis Garcia and Alexei Acosta, can speed their progress up the professional boxing rankings over the coming weeks with back-to-back appearances on the European title fight undercards at the National Stadium tomorrow night and then Letterkenny on October 2.

Sergio Martinez became a two-weight world champion after stepping up to middleweight to take Kelly Pavlik's WBO and WBC titles by unanimous decision in Atlantic City.