Bernard Dunne recorded a comprehensive super-bantamweight win over Damian Marchiano at the National Stadium.
The Dubliner produced an extremely mature performance and was deemed to have won each of the ten rounds (100-90 on points) by referee Emile Tiedt.
The Argentinan kept trying to draw Dunne into a brawl, but the Neilstown native showed he had learned from his loss to Kiko Martinez and his win over Felix Machado and continued to keep his distance.
Both fighters started cautiously, with the South American looking slightly disinterested to begin with. But, with a minute to go in the round, Dunne caught him with a right hand that soon captured Marchiano’s attention.
Dunne’s defence was noticeably better in the early stages, another facet of his game that has improved immensely since Martinez shocked him with a first round knock-out 11 months ago.
The home favourite was down on the canvas during the second round, but referee Tiedt rightly adjudged that it was a slip.
Dunne was showing discipline in keeping his distance, but on the few occasions Martinez, who was giving away an inch in height, got inside he looked dangerous.
The fourth round saw the former European champion assume control of the bout, with his snappy left jabs and hooks to the body, allied to his superior footwork, proving too much for Marchiano in his first professional fight on European soil.
His inability to get close enough to do damage to Dunne ensured Marciano became increasingly frustrated as the fight wore on. His night could well have been over early in the sixth when Dunne landed with a sweet left hook and an even sweeter left upper-cut.
Marchiano smiled and beckoned Dunne onto him, but the Dubliner was clever enough not too get sucked in and bounced around the ring picking his shots safe in the knowledge that only a KO could save the Argentinian from experiencing his fifth defeat.
Dunne didn’t seem to tire at all, prompting RTÉ co-commentator Dave 'Boy' McAuley to announce that the Brian Peters-promoted fighter looked 'fresh as paint' in the seventh.
Marchiano kept trying to tempt Dunne into getting involved, but he never did and closed out the fight with impressive ease to notch his 26th win in 27 fights.
