Bernard Dunne open to Dean Gardiner return as boxers target Bulgarian test

The 32-year old caught everyone off guard last month with the news that he was quitting the ring. He was just two fights away from sealing a place at the Olympic Games

Bernard Dunne at the launch of the ‘Indeed Career Coach’ programme. Picture: Inpho/Morgan Treacy

Bernard Dunne knows what it is to contemplate a comeback and the IABA's high performance director insists that the door remains open for Dean Gardiner if the super-heavyweight changes his mind about retirement and plots a fresh course for the Tokyo Olympics.

The 32-year old caught everyone off guard last month with the news that he was quitting the ring. He was just two fights away from sealing a place at the Games but the combination of a young family and a third-level course prompted a change in direction.