Dunne's defining moment at hand

BOXING: THROW A stick in the ground floor suite of the old Berkeley Court Hotel yesterday and you would have hit a world champion.

Ray Moylett, junior world amateur champion, Katie Taylor, lightweight world amateur champion and Ricardo Cordoba, the man whose WBA super bantamweight world championship belt Bernard Dunne seeks tonight in a sold-out 9,000 seat O2 Arena in Dublin.

Rugby internationals Shane Horgan and Emmet Byrne also milled around in the crowd of 200 in a throwback to the years when this was once the social heart of Lansdowne Road rugby internationals.

But it was Dunne most had come to see, the first ever Dubliner to challenge for a world title in his native city. He has now completed his preparation under the watchful eye of Harry Hawkins in Belfast and has come home to headline the first show staged in Ireland where amateurs and professionals will fight on the same bill.

“I’m at the stage now where it’s all relaxation,” said Dunne yesterday. “I’ll just start focusing in, just chill, really, really chill between now and the fight.”

Both Dunne and his hotly fancied southpaw opponent easily made the weight, the Panamanian four ounces heavier than the Irishman, who weighed in at 121 pounds.

“We’re on the countdown now. It’s finally here,” added Dunne. “This is the great moment we’ve all been waiting for. Now is my big chance and the time to take it with both hands.”

There is less of Dunne’s bravado and being based in Belfast he has shielded himself from much of the attention during the run-in. Nutritionists Blue Shinners and Jason Kenny, as well as a specialised physical trainer Mike McGurn, have been employed.

Even martial arts trainer Alec Doherty has offered new ideas, while promoter Brian Peters has provided Dunne with some of the best sparring partners in the weight division.

Now a 9 to 4 outsider with the bookies, Dunne has gone countless rounds with former European featherweight champion Alberto Servidei, an Italian undefeated in 24 professional fights and also former world title challenger William Gonzalez of Nicaragua.

Hawkins has been talking about the sparring partners and particularly Servidei, an excellent technical fighter, who has been able to mimic Cordoba’s style. Gonzalez has also a similar style to the title -holder but has an extra insight in that he previously fought and lost to the champion.

But Dunne, although an outsider, is not seen as an easy touch. The Panamanian team believe they will win otherwise they would not have accepted the fight in Dublin, but Cordoba’s promoter, Richard Dobal, has been unnecessarily respectful to the Irish man, who began his professional career back in 2001 in the USA.

“I’ve respect for Bernard because he’s done what very few European fighters do, he went to the US to learn his trade with Freddie Roach, who is probably the most successful trainer in the world.

“We know all about his sparring with Manny Pacquiao while he was in Los Angeles and we know that he was more than capable of holding his own with Pacquiao.”

In a strong division, Cordoba’s camp claim their man is the best around. Of the cream Israel Vazquez is out injured and Juanma Lopez is untested, while fellow-Panamanian Celestino Caballero has already been beaten by Cordoba.

Dunne looked stronger yesterday than he ever has and as he chases the belt that once adorned the waist of Barry McGuigan, he will also know McGuigan was not hot favourite to win against Eusebio Pedroza in Loftus Road in 1985, while Wayne McCullough travelled to Japan 10 years later for what was considered an near impossible task against Yasuei Yakushiji. The Belfast Olympic silver medallist arrived back with the WBC super bantamweight title.

“There hasn’t been a day yet when I haven’t looked forward to going to the gym,” said Dunne. “This is the fight my whole career has been building to so there is definitely an extra edge to me for this one.”

It won’t be the old Dunne, who tried to go to war and lost to Spain’s Kiko Martinez. Or the fighter that used drop his hands to taunt his opponents. Belfast trainer John Breen said he hoped Dunne would win the title and “keep boxing going in Ireland”.

And Breen is right. There is more to it than the title. Andy Lee, who faces Alex Sipos in a middleweight contest would also benefit from the surge. But that was not Dunne’s concern as he raced off after the weigh-in to finally eat some substantial food.

The quiet and surly Panamanian was happy to speak briefly just three times in Spanish to the recent gatherings. Yesterday was no different. “Hopefully what you see tomorrow will be the first in a string of world title defences from Ricardo Cordoba,” he said.

Again Dunne just smiled.

Fight Schedule

Anthony Fitzgerald v Janis Chernouskis

(middleweight – four rounds)

Michael Kelly v Valentins Morozovs

(lightweight – four rounds)

Paddy Barnes v Paul Kayes

(light flyweight amateur – three rounds)

Ray Moylett v Rob Gorman

(lightweight amateur – three rounds)

Jim Rock v Alessio Furlan

(middleweight – 10 rounds)

Andy Murray v Daniel Rasilla

(European Union lightweight title – 12 rounds)

Katie Taylor v Carolin Barry

(lightweight amateur – four rounds)

Andy Lee v Alex Sipos

(middleweight – 10 rounds)

Bernard Dunne v Ricardo Cordoba

(WBA super bantamweight title – 12 rounds)

O2 doors open 6pm, first fight 6.15pm. Live coverage RTÉ 2 from 9pm.

Dunne fight 10.30pm-10.45pm.