SPAIN TRAVELLED to Dublin for a clash with Jack Charlton's Republic of Ireland in a crucial World Cup qualifier in October 1993.
The deal was simple, if Ireland won they would book their place in the 1994 World Cup finals in the USA.
Defeat was never countenanced. "Win the game and we're on the plane" was one of the more memorable headlines on the press on the day of the match.
Trouble was however, the Spanish hadn't read the script and won 3-1, leaving Ireland needing a result (which they got) in Windsor Park against a belligerent Northern Ireland to secure qualification.
When the Spanish won in Dublin, a surreal silence descended over Lansdowne Road. The fans arrived for a party but ended up feeling like they had just attended a funeral.
But at least with football you have ninety minutes or more to either see your dreams either come alive, or be reduced to a nightmare-unlike boxing.
Spain's Kiko Martinez took 86 seconds to wreck Bernard Dunne's aspirations of a world title shot at a packed out Point in Dublin last Saturday night.
Like his fellow countrymen in 1993, Martinez was responsible for reducing a large gathering of sports supporters in Dublin to a stunned silence.
As promotions go it was one of the most dramatic nights in Irish pro boxing history. Dunne was defending his European super bantamweight title against Martinez but his belt was violently ripped from his grasp by the man they call "mini Tyson" in Spain.
The 21-year-old Spaniard, all 5ft 5inches of him, certainly started like a Tyson, dropping Dunne, 27, twice and then subjecting the defending champion to a barrage of punches before the ref called a halt to proceedings after one minute and twenty six seconds.
A surreal silence descended over the Point and ten minutes after the clash young Dunne fans were still staring at the ring with a look of disbelief on their faces.
With so much razzmatazz going on beforehand they might have been forgiven for thinking that what they had just witnessed was some sort of showbiz trick and Dunne would magically reappear any minute to take care of the Spaniard according to plan.
But slowly the reality of Dunne's spectacular capitulation began to sink home and the Point was deserted.
In 1993 the ball boys and girls were prepared to celebrate World Cup qualification against Spain.
The best laid plans of mice and men. Famed American coach, Emanuel Steward, who was in Andy Lees corner at the Point, steering the Limerick southpaw to a controlled win on his Irish pro debut against Belfasts Ciaran Healy, put it more succinctly.
He said: "Boxing is different than all other sports. One punch and all your plans can go out the window.
“It can be a very cruel sport as sometimes there is no way back, or no time for a way back, on the night."
Speaking after the fight, Dunne was taking a leaf out of Roy Keane's book saying that he would learn more about himself in the way he reacted to defeat than to victory.
“It can be a very cruel sport as sometimes there is no way back, or no time for a way back, on the night."
Speaking after the fight, Dunne was taking a leaf out of Roy Keane's book saying that he would learn more about himself in the way he reacted to defeat than to victory.
Dunne reacted with dignity to his defeat, and what boxer, even Muhammad Ali, has not suffered and bounced back from losing, to go on to conquer the world.
However, the manner of this loss-Dunne's first defeat as a pro 25 fights-will have scarred the Dubliner deeply coming as it did in his own back yard in front of fans, a sizable number of who wouldn't know a tea bag from a punch bag.
Both parties indicated at the press conference that a re-match could be on the cards. Meanwhile, Martinez's camp placed 12,000 euros at odds of 66/1 on their man taking out Dunne in the first round.
If the Spaniard’s camp claims are correct then they left Dublin with a European title and over 250,000 euro for less than two minutes work.
On the undercard, undefeated Irish middleweight Andy Lee racked up the 11th win of his career after Ciaran Healy was retired on his stool before the start of the fifth.
Lee, with famed coach Emanuel Steward in his corner, creased Healy with a stiff body shot at the end of the fourth and the Belfast punchers corner decided that he had had enough in the interval before the fifth.
Lee, now boxing out of the Kronk in Detroit, was in control from the start but had to maintain his concentration against an opponent whose only hope of an upset was complacency on the Limerick’s southpaws part.
Tony Oakey left the Point hanging onto his British light heavyweight title by his fingernails after receiving a controversial majority draw decision against Ulster's Brain Magee.
Two of the three judges stalemated the encounter (114-114,114-114), while the third had Magee winning by 116 to 113 which was enough to ensure that Oakey retained his belt, but also enough for Magee to correctly claim that he had won.
It was very harsh on Magee who did enough to win the fight on the night and a chorus of boos from the crowd after the verdict was announced let the two judges in question know exactly what was thought of their decision.
Matthew Macklin and Paul McCloskey both chalked up wins at the Point.
Meantime, the Irish senior squad finished their Round Robin tournament on a high note last Saturday night after Ken Egan and Darren Sutherland both picked up personnel awards in Germany.
Egan won the best light heavyweight award and Sutherland collected the best middleweight award in Heidelberg.
Ireland were competing against Germany and France over three days and performed magnificently on Friday evening to beat the German number one side 8-3.
Ireland met France on Saturday night, but the French emerged victorious with only Egan winning.
However, St Michael's Athy ace David Oliver Joyce was unlucky against Khedafi Djelkhir in a thrilling 57Kg clash which saw Joyce force the Frenchman into two standing counts in the final round.
Djelkhir-ranked 8th in the World, and 3rd in Europe-beat Carl Frampton in last Junes EU Championships featherweight final at the National Stadium in Dublin and also won the boxer of the tournament award.
There were reversals also for Joyce's St Michael's Athy team-mates John Joe Joyce and Eric Donovan, and Conor Ahern against the French on Saturday night, while Cathal McMonagle was beaten by a German opponent.
Paddy Barnes, Ryan Lindberg and Carl Frampton sat out the French match through injury while Sutherland had no fight.
All three nations were using the tournament to prepare for Octobers World Championships in Chicago which will act as the first qualifier for the 2008 Olympics.
According to High Performance Director Gary Keegan, they were pleased with their performance in Germany.
According to High Performance Director Gary Keegan, they were pleased with their performance in Germany.
He said: "We are happy with what we got out of the lads over the three days and it was a fantastic performance on Friday night.
"We were using this tournament to prepare for the world championships and we got a lot of work done over here against quality opposition." Irish boxing chiefs will announce their squad for the World Championships shortly. A six, or possibly seven man squad will be named.
