Aaron McKenna took another big step in his career as the Monaghan fighter secured an upset victory over former WBO light-middleweight world champion Liam Smith, winning the bout by unanimous decision.
The fight at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London was taking place on the undercard of the Conor Benn v Chris Eubank Jr showdown and the unbeaten McKenna had promised that he would deliver a "statement" win against Liverpool native Smith earlier this week.
McKenna was true to his word as he won 119-108, 117-109 and 118-108 on the judges' cards, a convincing victory that takes him to 20-0-0 on his resume.
The 25-year-old dropped Smith in the final round with a left hook to the body as he emphasised his dominance.
Meanwhile, in the headline act, Eubank Jr dealt Benn a first career defeat after going the distance to win their middleweight grudge match on a unanimous points decision.
All three judges scored the fight 116-112 after a pulsating 12-round slugfest, both fighters coming out hard from the start and going toe-to-toe in front of 65,000 spectators.
The fight, between the sons of former world champions and arch-rivals Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn who met twice in the 1990s, was called off in 2022 when Benn tested positive for trace amounts of fertility drug clomifene, before being subsequently cleared by a UK Anti-Doping investigation.
Both fathers were present, 32 years on from their last clash, and embraced in the ring before the opening bell.
Additional reporting: Reuters
