BERNARD DUNNE’S coach Harry Hawkins reckons his man will have the measure of Spanish sensation Kiko Martinez at the Point in Dublin next Saturday night.
According to Hawkins, undefeated 5ft 7in Dunne will have the height and reach advantage against the 5ft 5in Spaniard when he puts his European super bantamweight title on the line.
Undefeated Dublin-born Dunne, 27, will be targeting the 25th win of a career that has seen him chalk up victories in a wide variety of locations including the USA, Italy, Germany and Ireland, at the Point.
Martinez, who is six years Dunne’s junior, has won his first 16 fights – but all of the Alicante-born puncher’s wins (13 via knockouts) have been in Spain.
Dunne has been getting some top quality sparring under his belt at his training base in the Holy Trinity club in Belfast in recent weeks, including sessions against unbeaten Sergio Blanco and English champ Rocky Dean. And Hawkins is confidently predicting that the Dubliner will once again successfully defend his European crown in front of his adoring fans next weekend.
He said: “Bernard will be in top shape both physically and mentally for his title defence, and while we are confident of the outcome, we will be taking absolutely nothing for granted.
“Martinez has an impressive record. But he has never fought outside his home country and I feel that will be a factor because there will be an electric atmosphere at the Point.
“Bernard also has the height and reach advantage and the experience of performing on big fight nights in Dublin and abroad.”
Limerick southpaw Andy Lee, now boxing out of the renowned Kronk Gym in Detroit under legendary coach Emanuel Steward, will make his Irish pro debut at the Point on the Dunne-Martinez undercard.
The unbeaten 22-year-old hasn’t even dropped a round in his 100 wins so far, and was in training camp with world middleweight champ Jermain Taylor in Detroit ahead of his 11th fight.
Tennessee-born Brad Austin had been pencilled in to meet the former St Francis Limerick boxer in Dublin, but visa problems has seen Austin withdraw. However, Lee is remaining focussed.
“Boxing in Ireland has been something I wanted to do since I turned professional and I can’t wait for this fight to happen as there is always a fantastic atmosphere at the Point,” he said.
“I hope to have another fight in Ireland in the near future but for now my entire focus is on next Saturday night and I’m not planning to disappoint Irish boxing fans.”
Also on the undercard, Belfast light heavyweight Brian Magee will challenge Portsmouth’s Tony Oakey for his British title.
The Oakey–Magee meeting will be the first-ever British title fight to be held outside Britain since the prestigious Lonsdale belt was first awarded in 1909. According to the bookies, Magee is slight favourite to do the business in the Irish capital, but Oakey admitted the odds have tempted him to have a flutter on himself
The 31-year-old said: “I’m surprised that the bookies have him as favourite. If that’s the case then I might just have to get down to the bookies and put a few quid on myself!
“I think the bookies are forgetting that this is Brian’s first title fight up at light heavyweight and my biggest asset is my strength.
“I’m a proper light heavyweight, and my strength combined with my workrate is going to be the difference in this fight, especially in the later rounds.”
However, Magee believes the later rounds will be his territory, and the 1996 Olympian reckons he is far more comfortable at light heavy.
He said: “I think I’ll have more energy in the championship rounds because I was working so hard to make super middleweight that I just couldn’t carry my strength through the full twelve rounds and I think that’s cost me before.
“I’m far more comfortable at light heavyweight. I still have to work to get down to the weight but it’s not a struggle anymore and I feel far better for it.”
In other pro news, Irish boxers Jason McKay, Neil Sinclair, Billy Walsh, Declan Timlin and Kieran Healy all chalked up victories at City Hall in Cork on Saturday night last.
Irish light heavyweight champ McKay beat Mugurel Sebe on points (80–73) while Sinclair cruised to a 60–54 victory over Sergejs Savrinovics.
Unbeaten Cork middleweight Walsh racked up the fourth win of his career courtesy of a fourth-round stoppage against Latvian Deniss Alekseevs.
There were also victories for Timlin, following a seventh-round stoppage against Jevgenijs Stamburskis, and Healy got a 59–57 verdict over Martins Kukuls.
In amateur news, the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) has named a 12-strong Irish squad for the European Schoolboy Championships in England next month.
Ireland won a hat trick of medals at last year’s European Schoolboy Championships after Golden Cobras’ Anthony Upton, Glen’s Tommy Kiely, and Clonoes’ Fergal McCrory all claimed bronze in the Ukraine.
The 2007 European School-boy Championships will take place at Nelson Landbase in Portsmouth, England, from 2–9 September.
Irish squad:
40kg: George Bates (St Mary’s Dublin)
43kg: Kieran Forde (Monivea)
44.5kg: Michael Reilly (Portlaoise)
46kg: Roy Carroll (Glen)
48kg: Michael McDonagh (St Mary’s)
50kg: Christy Joyce (St Michael’s Athy)
52kg: Chris Mullally (Ryston)
56kg: Joe Ward (Moate)
59kg: Stephen Broadhurst (Dealgan)
62kg: Ray Ginley (Oliver Plunkett)
65kg: Daniel O’Neill (Pauls-town)
68kg: Daniel O’Brien (Drim-nagh)
Team Manager: Gerry O’Mahoney (Dungarvan)
Coaches: Tony Davitt (Drim-nagh) TBC
R/J: Fiona Hennigan (Arnaree)
