Duddy extends winning streak in Dublin

Derry middleweight John Duddy scored a tenth-round stoppage of Italian Alessio Furlan overnight to triumph in his first professional fight on Irish soil.

Duddy jetted in from his New York base to top the Hunky Dorys fight night bill at Dublin's National Stadium and gained a workmanlike 21st straight win of his career.

The 28-year-old Ulsterman moved a step closer to a European title shot as he stopped the durable Furlan, two minutes and 42 seconds into the tenth and final round.

Duddy made a composed start, landing a flurry of powerful shots to floor Furlan in the first round. However, the Rocca Canavese fighter got up and dug deep to almost take the bout to a points decision.

Frustratingly for Duddy the killer punch would not come and the former Irsh amateur champion did become a little wayward in the middle rounds, having been cut twice over his eyes due to a clash of head

In front of a partizan 3,000-strong crowd, Duddy bounced back to boss the final rounds and Furlan hit the canvas twice in the tenth, reeling from strong right uppercuts.

Reacting to the win, Duddy said: "This is the beginning of something special for Ireland. Bernard Dunne has taken pro boxing to another level here and I'm following in his footsteps.

"Irish boxing is thriving at the moment and I'm just glad to be a part of it."

Asked about his fighter's immediate future, Duddy's new trainer Don Turner said his charge is "four or five fights away from a world title."

On the undercard to the John Duddy fight, Derry light welterweight Paul McCloskey got the better of Ivan Orlando Bustos of Argentina to chalk up his eleventh straight pro win.

In the fourth round, McCloskey landed a stinging right hook to the body which floored Bustos and gained the 27-year-old Irishman his fifth KO of his career.

Lurgan fighter Stephen Haughian had to battle hard for a sixth round stoppage win over Machester-based Gary O'Connor.

Haughian, using his longer reach and power advantage, took the light welterweight contest to move his unblemished record to 10-0 (3 KOs). He showed good accuracy throughout the bout, with his right cross proving to be his most effective punch.

Dublin-born Eugene Heagney, who is based in Huddersfield, claimed a tight points decision over Colin Moffett of Belfast in their bantamweight clash.

Heagney punched well in the early rounds, leaving Moffett cut over his left eye in the first round, and eventually won by 78-76. It was his fifth straight pro win.

There were also wins on the night for Dublin featherweight Patrick Hyland and Declan Timlin, a promising heavyweight from Mayo.