Jailauov first of four as Dunne sets sights higher
While promoter/manager Brian Peters insists they won’t be rushing into anything, Dunne said yesterday he would take a world title fight if and when it comes.
“I am always ready for it and while there would be a lot of discussions surrounding something like that, I would jump at the opportunity,” said the unbeaten Dubliner.
The business in hand centres around Jailauov, a 29 year-old unknown quantity who was involved in a controversial fight with former European champion and world title contender Michael Hunter, and has also ventured as far afield as Spain and Thailand.
“The fight in Thailand was against Somsak Sitchatchawal, who won the WBA world title last year, so that tells you a lot about his pedigree and his class,” said Peters.
“His amateur credentials are impressive and, as a pro, he has some very decent wins against top-class Russians like Alexander Federov and Yuri Voronin, who boxed Bernard here in Dublin.”
Dunne admits he knows nothing about his opponent but will be studying tapes of his fights over the coming days.
Since Dunne won the European title before a sell-out crowd at The Point last year, he has cruised up through the world rankings. He is now No 7 with the WBO, No 8 with the WBA and 12 with the WBC, while he is 13 on the IBF’s list.
This would indicate he is top of some promoter’s list, although Peters has ruled out a world title shot in the immediate future, pointing out that Dunne has had just one 12 rounder while Barry McGuigan had eight before he challenged Eusebio Pedrozo.
“We are not going to rush into anything. We are working to a plan and it has all worked out well so far,” said Peters.
“We would like to mop up Europe first and then turn to the rest of the world. There are some very good fighters in the EBU’s list of challengers and we are willing to take them on.”
Apparently they don’t have the same urge to fight the Dubliner. At least two of them turned down handsome pay-days — twice their normal purses — before Jailauov took up the challenge.
If he successfully completes the business at The Point on March 15, Dunne faces a mandatory defence against the enigmatic Spaniard Kiki Martinez — a fight that must take place before the end of May.
After that there are four champions who are likely to show an interest in Dunne over the coming months — Steve Mollitor from Canada, who lost to Dunne as an amateur, Celestino Cabbalero, Daniel Ponce de Lyon and Israel Vasquez, who could be Dunne’s preferred opponent.
The immediate concern, however, is Jailauov, who turned professional in 2000, having beaten Roberto Benitez for the gold medal at the Goodwill Games in New York.
He has won 19 of his 23 fights and one of his four losses was to the then European champion, Michael Hunter, and came on the back of a highly controversial stoppage described in the media as “truly, truly bizarre.”
“I am ready for him,” said Dunne at yesterday’s launch in the Burlington Hotel. “I took a break after the Esham Pickering fight and was able to enjoy my first Christmas in five years. But I have been training since then and I was out running in the snow this morning.”
The Sunday night programme will go out live on RTE television — over half a million watched the European title fight — and the undercard will feature Matthew Macklin, on his first outing since his “Fight of the Year” against Jamie Moore.
Macklin will take on Jason McKay from Belfast for the Irish middleweight title vacated by Jim Rock, with McKay, the last amateur to beat John Duddy in 1998, claiming he will add the title to the light heavyweight title he won at the same venue last November.
Neil Sinclair, former world No 2, will relaunch his career at Cork City Hall tomorrow night week and, after that, he is scheduled to meet Francis Jones at The Point. Stephen Haughian, also on Gary Hyde’s star-studded bill at Cork City Hall, has an appointment with Chill John in a light welterweight contest.
