Hot shot Dunne raises his sights

IT was the perfect homecoming for Dubliner Bernard Dunne who gave the his delighted fans the result they craved at the National Stadium on Saturday night, toying with game Jim Betts from Leeds.

The response to this show - and only Jim Rock’s super middleweight title of Ireland on the line - left promoter/manager Brian Peters scratching his head. Now he plans another big show but has a dilemma over the venue: Dunne, he feels, could fill the Point.

But those details won’t worry Dunne. He enjoyed Saturday night and the fans loved it. The atmosphere created by the sell-out crowd was reminiscent of the 80’s and Barry McGuigan at The Kings Hall.

After this extravaganza, Dunne was yesterday setting his sights on Nicky Cooke’s European title and Manager Peters was doing the sums.

Everyone was happy to be floating on this wave of emotion - new to Irish fans only for already he had a big fan club in America.

Plucky Jim Betts, with a record of 18-0-3 from his 21 fights, was an ideal opponent for he had a stonewall defence that left the 25 year old Dubliner probing for chinks in the early rounds. He shipped Dunne’s solid jabs in the first round, did not flinch from a big left hook to the head early in the second and continued to move forward, tying his man up, frustrating him and stealing the odd punch to keep matters interesting.

Dunne caught him with one of his hallmark right hands early in the third round but still Betts came forward and there was an ominous sign when the 25 year old Dubliner caught him with a big body punch that almost lifted him off the canvas.

But he weathered that storm and was back for more in the fourth, riding the punches, shipping the big ones an still looking for the one that might test Dunne who had been carrying a nick over his left eye from early in the second round.

The fifth round was special, however. Dunne, with the fans on their feet, beckoned Betts to come out and immediately went to work with clinical precision. It was going to be quick. A left hand to the head had Betts in trouble and then came another body blow. This time, however, Betts hit the canvas and although referee David Irvine from Belfast continued the count, he was never going to make it.

Dunne was full of praise for Betts and was the first to admit that he was a better opponent that he had expected: “OK, he was not Adrian Valdez, he caused me just as many problems,” he said. “He had a really tight defence but we knew all about that and our plan was to box him for a couple of rounds and maybe break him down after five or six rounds and that worked.

“You must remember he had six weeks notice of this fight. It is not like he was told about it last week.

“It was huge exposure for me and for Irish boxing - live television, two and a half thousand people paying to see you - it was great,” he said.

“But you could get distracted by that. It was something I had to watch. At the end of the day I came here to fight but I enjoyed it and I think they loved it. I am already looking forward to coming back. Everyone is aware that Bernard Dunne is back and I am going to go out there and let them all know that I am back.

“We will bring a lot of the young boxers here - some of them we have not seen boxing here in Dublin - we have a great supporting cast.”

Brian Peters promised that Dunne will be based in Ireland for the immediate future but he did not rule out a return to the US: “It is something we like and it is something that suits us right now,” he said. “They still want Bernard over there. Over the last two weeks I have spoken to four of the Networks and they all want to see Bernard again. He will not be forgotten over there.

“But we want him to fight over here. He wants to do it for the fans. Over the years we have had Irish fighters going into guys back yards, getting treated badly. This is a bit different. But of course America beckons.

“Couple of more fights and we should be talking about a European title shot. Nicky Cooke is a hell of a fighter. He has won his 24 fights. Who knows what he is going to do. He could go on to a world title. There is any amount of possibilities.”

Jim Rock put his Irish super-middleweight title on the line against Peter Jackson who got the shot through the parentage rule and the teak tough Dubliner, who has mixed it with the best, had turn in one of the performances of his career before finally put paid to the English man’s challenge.

Rock had his man on the floor from a perfectly placed right to the head in the third round but gutsy Jackson got up looking for revenge and the champion had to go back to the drawing board.

But Rock was on song, his punches were accurate and his timing was perfect. He was docked a point by referee Sean Russell, brother of Olympic bronze medallist, Hughie Russell, for a low blow but even Jackson did not regard the body punch as being low.

It was the only blot on an otherwise impeccable card and it came early in the seventh round when Rock was well on top. His reaction was swift. He moved in on Jackson, cut him off and pounded him with a barrage that opened up a gash over his left eye and eventually put him on his knees and he failed in a valiant effort to beat the count.

Francis Barrett’s homecoming also ended in victory but, after out pointing the Lithuanian, Oscar Milkitas, 59-56 after an action packed six rounds, the 1996 Olympian was disappointed with his performance.

“I boxed crap,” was his immediate reaction. “I went in there tonight excited. It was my first fight back. I was anxious. I wanted to please the fans. I won but I just did not box well at all.”

Barrett revelled in the atmosphere and is now hoping that he can postpone his defence of his EU light welterweight title, scheduled for the end of March, until the planned show in late April.

“I will be talking to Brian Peters. It would be an obvious thing to do after this and I can guarantee I will box better that night,” he said.