Peters eyes up opponents for big-hitting Dunne

MANAGER Brian Peters was last night going through a list of more than 50 possible opponents for featherweight sensation Ben Dunne after his sensational first round demolition of Oscar Rosales at the Wild Wild West Casino in Oklahoma at the weekend.

The young Dubliner mesmerised the fans, left his promoter, the former world champion Sugar Ray Leonard speechless, and his opponent out cold with his late onslaught, just as they settled in their seats for his first scheduled six rounder.

"It was not just the knockout, it was the manner in which he executed it that was impressive," Peters said.

"I was not at all happy with the first round knockout in Las Vegas and I told him that."

But this time it was all so clinical a double jab, a left hook, the big right cross and it was all over.

"The cowboys loved it," he said.

Sugar Ray (Leonard) could not get over it.

"We had dinner with him that night and he just could talk about nothing else.

"The next day the local Oklahoma paper was dubbing him the Irish de la Hoya.

"I mean this opponent was not a no-hoper. He was a hungry 20-year-old Texan oozing confidence. He had four wins on his record, one draw and two losses, and one of those losses was a fifth round stoppage to the Russian who was runner-up in the bantamweight division at the Olympics."

Now the Dunshaughlin businessman is hunting for a suitable opponent for Dunne's next fight.

"We see him boxing a 10-round main event on ESPN in the New Year," he said.

"So far he has had six professional fights but he has boxed less than 11 rounds in total. He needs a few more rounds.

"For his next fight we have pencilled in June 6 and we would like to get him some exposure on the East Coast so we are looking at a couple of venues there. It will be another six- rounder.

"As regards an opponent I have a list of between 50 and 60 possibles and am currently going through those.

"I think, this time, I may go for an older opponent a guy who has been around the block with a view to seeing how he would perform against a more experienced boxer.

"But he would need to be somebody who has a bit of a reputation."

The carefully planned programme will see Dunne box six-rounders in June, July and August before coming home for a break, then returning up to eight rounds later in the year.