Cork's Callum Walsh delivers stunning KO on an Irish boxing night ...
What a start. Cork’s Callum Walsh successfully defended his WBC Continental Americas Super Welterweight title at Dublin’s 3Arena with a second-round KO on an extremely encouraging night for Irish boxing.
The 23-year-old overcame Przemyslaw Runowski for an impressive homecoming triumph to bring his record to 12-0, 10 KOs. A shorter Runowski was caught as he tried to close the gap with a spinout hook and huge left hand. Before he knew it, the referee called it off and glasses of beer were raining down on the canvas in celebration.
“Oh baby, this is unbelievable,” Walsh roared from the ring. “What a night. The crowd is electric. What did they say? He’d never been stopped? Until he got hit by me.”
This was the first pro card in the venue since Katie Taylor’s remarkable rematch against Chantelle Cameron almost a year ago. It was a show with a difference too. Walsh is promoted by Tom Loeffler of 360 Promotions and partnered with UFC Fight Pass, who broadcast the card live. The security presence was far less visible than the two previous Taylor events while UFC boss Dana White was seated ringside. All of the upper bleachers were covered over to emphasise the crowd that was present. They raced through the bill in a hurry. 'No waiting around,' was the theme of the night.
Walsh made his entry to the sound of Celtic Symphony by The Wolfe Tones. The southpaw found joy early with a big cross that had the Pole stumbling backwards. In the second, Walsh settled on the outside where he eventually produced the clinical shot.
Before that, things were already ticking along nicely. Clonmel prospect Shauna O'Keefe, who recently spent time sparring with Taylor, powered past a bloodied Valgerdur Gudsteindottir in their lightweight contest to clinch a TKO win in the fourth.
Dublin heavyweight Thomas Carty dropped Jonathan Vergara in the second with an enormous left to the body. Twice more the outmatched away fighter fell to the canvas before the fight was stopped.
“We covered all bases tonight. Big finish, great walkout. That is what everyone comes to see,” said Carty, who stuck with his familiar ring walk song, Grace.
“It was a great moment, another great moment at the 3Arena. The UFC run things really well. The guy was telling me, ‘come on, come on, come on!’ But the song was only kicking in, so I was taking my time. Then when I walked out the crowd was amazing.”
Craig O'Brien and Limerick native Edward Donovan went toe-to-toe in a tetchy affair. Sparks flew across the North Wall arena and the Dubliner’s trainer Pascall Collins was warned after a heated protest saw him leap to the outside of the ropes. It came to a close before the seventh round due to a Donovan cut caused by an accidental clash of heads.
O’Brien, who also had Niall Kennedy and Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan in his corner, earned the Celtic super welterweight title on a 58-56, 58-56, and 57-58 decision.
Kerryman Kevin Cronin played his part in yet another barnstormer, losing out to Tokyo Olympian Emmett Brennan on a split decision for the Super Middleweight Celtic title. The duo both demonstrated a willingness to trade on the inside across eight gripping rounds.
A fitting finale brought proceedings to an end before 10pm. Walsh signed out with a promise that there would be more.
“I am coming for all the belts,” he announced. “I want to bring them back here to Ireland.” Cork awaits.
