Ingle predicts Dunne will be world champion

Watch Bernard Dunne win the European super-bantamweight title against Esham Pickering by clicking here.

Top trainer Brendan Ingle has backed Irishman Bernard Dunne to go on and become a world champion.

Dunne was far too clever for Esham Pickering at the Point Depot in Dublin last night, landing the vacant European super-bantamweight title with a unanimous decision, two judges having it 117-111 and the other 115-113.

Ingle, who trains Pickering, said: ‘This guy has everything it takes to become a world champion.

‘That was a very classy performance from Bernard and I hope he goes on to become a world champion and who knows maybe he'll give Esham a re-match.

‘In the later rounds I could see that as Esham was trying to come on Bernard was tying him up at times and messing him around and then having a real go near the end of the round and you need that at the highest level, that's smart.’

The obvious fight for Dunne is a meeting with newly-crowned IBF super-bantamweight champion Steve Molitor, who stopped former European champion Michael Hunter on Friday night in Hartlepool.