Pierce O'Leary suffers 10th-round knock-out loss to Mark Chamberlain
Dublin boxer Pierce O'Leary suffered a stoppage loss to Mark Chamberlain in last night's IBO World Super Lightweight Championship bout.
The defeat marked O'Leary's first loss of his professional career as he relinquished the title to his English counterpart.
He had his opponent on the canvas in the seventh round, but suffered two knockdowns and was stopped in the 10th. He has lost his IBO world title, generally considered to be a stepping stone to the four more prestigious world belts.
The fight burst into life late in the second round, as O’Leary landed a clean shot that looked to have his opponent in trouble.
The Dubliner followed in, eagerly throwing a couple of wild shots, and was caught with a counter left hand that put him flat on his back. After getting to his feet and surviving the count, O’Leary just about held on to survive the final 20 seconds of the round.
O'Leary was also knocked down in their third, but rallied to knock down the Englishman in the seventh round.
However, O'Leary was caught again in the 10th, and following a flurry from Chamberlain, the referee brought the contest to an end.
On the undercard, Cork’s Steven Cairns (15-0) and Dublin’s Adam Olaniyan (3-0) and Bobbi Flood (3-0) continued their unbeaten streaks with stoppage victories.
Naas’s Gary Cully (now 19-2) scored a knock-out in the final round of a back-and-forth scrap with Lee Reeves (16-2), but the fight was overshadowed after the Limerick fighter had to be stretchered out of the ring and was brought to hospital.
