Hyland eyeing up Dunne deal

PAUL HYLAND turned in the best performance of his career when he stopped Eugene Heagney 2 minutes and 45 secs into the third round in his defence of his Irish super bantamweight title and emerged as a possible opponent for the former world champion, Bernard Dunne.

“It’s the obvious question: what about Bernard but if Bernard Dunne comes he comes if he doesn’t he doesn’t,” he said.

“Right now my priority is the EU title and I am scheduled to fight David Chianella for that in Italy on February 26 so that’s next on the list.

“I am looking forward to that fight and then maybe Rendall Munroe. That’s what I have in mind.”

On Friday night Paul Hyland’s brother, Eddie, won an exciting contest on the undercard to the “Spike” O’Sullivan-Ciaran Healy Irish title fight and while he was impressive his brother, Paul, was brilliant.

He had beaten Heagney on points at DCU las December but this time Heagney had no answer to what was an exhibition of clean, accurate punches and delightful combinations before the big right hand put him on the floor and referee David Irving stepped in to stop the contest.

“I was more relaxed in this fight,” Hyland said. “I was stronger tonight and I was much faster. As soon as the bell went I felt confident. I wasn’t going to get beaten, the combinations were coming. I knew it was going to be stopped sooner rather than later.

“I feel more comfortable at super-bantam. I feel stronger and I have that buzz about me now. I feel I can’t get beaten now.”

Andy Murray from Cavan, who holds the European Union lightweight title as well as the Irish lightweight and light welterweight titles, beat Alex Bone, a tough lightweight from Ecuador, based in France, with a 58-56 points victory.

“He was tough but that’s the kind of opponent you have to be able to handle at this stage of your career,” Murray said.

There were first round stoppages for former world military champion, Michael Kelly from Dundalk, J. J. McDonagh from Mullingar, whose brother, Paddy, won in Cork on Friday night, and Dubliner Gavin Prunty. But Anthony Fitzgerald, who had been scheduled to box injured Lee Murtagh for the Irish super middle-weight title, had to go the distance with Matt Scriven from Nottingham who soaked up a lot of punishment.