Cold shoulder treatment for the sponsors
Either Brian Peters and Bernard Dunne have a world boxing title in their lap, or a big problem on their hands, in the form of the current holder of the WBA Super Bantamweight title, Ricardo Cordoba. So well is Cordoba looking after himself in preparation for Dunne"s challenge for his belt, that he refused to go outdoors into the Irish weather last Thursday for a photograph with his challenger beside the large truck of the sponsors, Hunky Dorys. Proceedings were delayed while Cordoba wrapped up well before posing in front of Gerry McQuaid"s Dunsany Haulage truck at the Audi Club press conference at the new O2. The Panamanian boxer has very little English and his manager explained he didn"t want to get a cold prior to next month"s bout which is scheduled for Saturday, 21st March. A number of years ago, when Dunshaughlin boxing promoter Peters was launching Dunne, he said he wanted to restore boxing to the place it held in sporting popularity during the Barry McGuigan era. In the intervening years, through winning and then losing a European Super Bantamweight title, the manager and his protégé have certainly achieved that, and are now going for the pinnacle by attempting to emulate McGuigan"s achievement of over two decades ago. Among those joining Peters and Dunne at the press conference were sponsors Martin Donnelly of Clonee and Charles Coyle of the Curraha-based Perri Crisps, as well as Dunne"s wife, Pamela, and children. 'That"s what it"s all about folks,' Peters told the gathering as the besuited Panamanian boxer arrived with the shining belt on his shoulder. Peters revealed the deal had been signed on Christmas Day - still Christmas Eve with Cordoba - after a couple of months negotiation and hard work. Dunne said he was looking forward to being back in the former Point and had matured since his first round defeat there to Kiko Martinez. 'The last three fights have spurred me on, and I concentrate more in the first round now,' he stated. 'I went into training when we got the word around Christmas and I"m in pretty good shape. In eight weeks time, I"ll be hot! It"ll be one hell of a scrap!' Ironically, the last time an Irish boxer clashed with a Panamanian for a world title was that match between McGuigan and Eusebio Pedroza in London in 1985, when the Clones man recorded a famous victory to become the WBA featherweight champion. There are remarkable similarities between the records of Dunne and Cordoba at present and those of McGuigan and Pedroza then. A hat-trick of wins over South American opposition in 2008 secured Dunne a number 11 ranking with the WBA and a crack at Cordoba"s world title. Southpaw Cordoba has just one defeat in 37 pro fights and won the title with a landslide points verdict over Luis Alberto Perez in his native country last September. Cordoba has a record of 34 wins (21 knock-outs), one defeat and two draws since turning pro back in 2000, but has been unlucky in Europe. He is looking forward to taking on Dunne, even if it is in the Dublin"s boxers hometown. 'I hope all the Irish fans support Bernard, but there"ll only be me and him in the ring,' he said. Cordoba"s promoter, American Richard Dobal, was impressed by the 'skinny Irishman" he saw sparring Manny Pacquiao, 'one of the baddest men in boxing" some years ago in Los Angeles. Regarding his defeat by Martinez, he said: 'I"ve seen that fight, but a first round defeat doesn"t mean anything as far as I"m concerned.' 'That can happen to anyone and has happened to great fighters like Jack Dempsey, Floyd Patterson and Emile Griffith and they all went on prove that they could fight a bit!' The last Irish fighter to contest a world title in Ireland was Wayne McCullough who successfully defended his WBC bantamweight title at the Point in March 1996, against Jose Luis Bueno. One of McCullough"s sparring partners was 15 year-old Dunne, who now has his eyes on bigger things.