Oh, what a night.
What is it that they say about the Irish? They’ve some hell of a fighting spirit.
The fighting Irish is what everyone calls us, in any sport even if we’re not the most talented it is in our blood to just keep fighting.
So, when it comes to actual fighting we’re not too bad at it, it’s always our most successful sport at the Olympics.
Now all our prized Olympians are professional, Katie Taylor is a world champion and Michael Conlan is hopefully going in that direction.
Well, Paddy Barnes is sometimes the forgotten man amongst them two but he does have two bronze medals to his name, a class act.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing for him but after five fights he is a champion. An Intercontinental champion.
His manner of victories to this point have been mixed but they all count as victories at the end of it all.
- Disqualification
- Points
- Mixed decision
- Points
But fighting on the undercard of the Frampton Reborn card, Barnes got a title fight.
It was for the vacant WBO Intercontinental flyweight title against Eliecer Quezada and how Barnes went about it.
Barnes dominated from the start and put his opponent on the canvas in the second round but his opponent fought back but you got the sense that Barnes was finding the target better.
Eliecer Quezada takes a count! Impressive from @paddyb_ireland! Going into round four. Live now on BT Sport 1! #FramptonReborn pic.twitter.com/h1BlF2H7BX
— eir Sport (@eirSport) November 18, 2017
Barnes was odds-on favourite according to bookmakers and it showed but he was far from polished as he coasted to victory.
In the fifth, Barnes had a point deducted as Quezada grew into the fight.
A left hook in the sixth ended the contest for Barnes as he became a world top 10 and a champion in a mature performance.
Congratulations Paddy Barnes, you are now a champion.
