Dunne to take on Cordoba for world title

BOXING WBA SUPER-BANTAMWEIGHT: Johnny Wattersonhears from both camps as Dubliner Bernard Dunne gets his chance to fight for a world title in Dublin

BERNARD DUNNE’S earliest memory of Barry McGuigan was as a kid sitting on the knee of the former World Champion. Dunne was five when McGuigan ruffled the WBA World Featherweight division in a battle with Eusebio Pedroza at Queens Park Rangers’ ground at Loftus Road in London.

Although it came crashing down in a 110-degree car-park furnace at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, the McGuigan and Barney Eastwood years have a resonance that endure.

On March 21st Dunne will take on another Panamanian, Ricardo Cordoba, for the WBA World Super Bantamweight belt. It will be the first world title fight staged in Dublin involving an Irish man since Wayne McCullough successfully defended his WBC Bantamweight title at the old Point against Jose Luis Bueno in 1996.

Finally for Dunne, like McGuigan, the moment has arrived. “I know Barry quite well,” says Dunne. “I remember when I was young sitting on his lap. I have seen the fight with Pedroza, obviously not live. He will be in contact with me before the fight, to give a few tips, how to approach it. We hope to bring a lot of the Loftus Road atmosphere here.”

Once more Dunne knows this fight is the biggest risk of his career, but one he is destined to and must accept, while Cordoba’s manager Richard Dobal is also experiencing some anxiety attacks for making the agreement.

Dunne was his third choice after Cordoba’s team looked at European champion Rendall Munroe and Kiko Martinez, the Spaniard who claimed a first-round knockout over Dunne four fights ago. Since then Dunne has come back strong. Nor is he lost to the fact that the WBA title eluded Cordoba three times before he finally won it.

“We had discussions with a Spanish promoter (Martinez), came to an agreement and then he didn’t want it. Maloney (Munroe) didn’t get back. Dunne had no trepidation in accepting and that’s why we are here,” said Dobal.

His world champion has not had that much luck in his European adventures. He had two fights in Germany in 2006 and 2007 and drew with the German-based Wladimir Sidorenko on both occasions. Cordoba’s only professional defeat was in Thailand when he lost on a split decision to a local fighter, Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym.

“When you travel to places like Thailand and Germany, you know sometimes that you have to knock the other guy out to get a draw,” he adds, suggesting a possible intention of Cordoba in Dublin’s 9,000 seat O2 arena.

Dobal also knows something about Dunne and recalls with an air of cautious respect the “skinny white kid from Dublin banging away at Manny Pacquiao” at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym.

“In those days,” says Dobal, “Pacquiao was an animal.”

“Absolutely coming here is a big risk. He (Cordoba) is a world champion but it does not mean he’ll sit in Panama until he’s 40. It’s a big risk fighting at this level whether it’s in Panama or here in his (Dunne’s) back yard.

“Sure he’s spoken to Pedroza, he’s spoken to (Roberto) Duran, he’s spoken to (Celestine) Caballero. They mentor young fighters in Panama and see it as passing on the mantle from generation to generation.”

Dunne, who is 29 next month knows that a world title fight would have to come sooner rather than later. It is also the biggest risk of his career but he had locked onto the idea as a motivation since he first taped on a glove.

He is aware too the public have been asking increasingly hard questions since he started knocking down opponents in the Point Depot on his way to the short-held European crown.

He understands some people’s patience has worn thin and they have tired of his promises, written him off as World Champion material, questioned the strength of his chin. He will go in against Cordoba with the wounded strength of the underdog.

“Now is the time,” he says. “I’m 28. We could keep going around Castlebar and fighting top 10 guys and picking up the pay cheques. This is a dream. This is what I got into boxing for, what I’ve worked my whole life for and now is my chance of a world title.

“He’s a class fighter, tall, rangy, a good mover, a good combination puncher. Fast hands. You don’t become a world champion without having that little bit extra.”

Dunne has had 28 fights and lost just one. McGuigan had 27 fights and lost just one. Cordoba has had 37 fights and lost just one, while his compatriot Pedroza fought 42 times with three defeats. There is some symmetry in the fighter’s records but not on their current WBA ratings.

The 24-year-old Cordoba became the WBA’s interim champion following his points win over Luis Alberto Perez last September.

The Panamanian was then installed as world champion two months later, when former titleholder Cabellero claimed the IBF belt in a unification fight. Dunne is ranked 11th.

“Eusebio Pedroza was Eusebio Pedroza, Ricardo Cordoba is Ricardo Cordoba. They are two different fighters in two different eras,” said the champion, one of a few in Dublin’s O2 yesterday who was hoping history would not repeat itself.