Irish Lightning to strike in Dublin ‘Homecoming’ bill
Exciting unbeaten Irish fighter Dean Byrne 12-0 (5 KO's) reunites with his former Crumlin Boxing Club coach and mentor Phil Sutcliffe as he is added to DolPhil Promotions' homecoming bill, due to take place at the City West Hotel, Dublin on Saturday August 7.
It certainly will be a homecoming for Byrne, nicknamed "Irish Lightning". The fighter based in Los Angeles, where he trains at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym, has yet to fight on home soil during his unblemished twelve-fight career.
The former Irish amateur champion turned professional in 2006 in Australia and enjoyed a successful six-fight stint 'Down Under', picking up, and retaining, the national light-welterweight title before flying to America to join-up with Roach.
Since his Stateside debut, Dean has improved his power and technique earning a spot as one of the main sparring partners for the Pound-For-Pound number one Manny Pacquiao and WBA light-welterweight king Amir Khan.
Despite this high profile activity, Byrne, 25, has an eye on the Irish scene and is keen to follow in the footsteps of his hero, fellow Dubliner, Bernard Dunne.
“Maybe I could emulate Bernard Dunne who, like me, he spent a few years in America learning his trade and building his record. Then he came back home, smashed it and become world champion. So I just say to myself, ‘if Bernard can do it, why can't I?’. It’s time to grab to bull by the horns,” said a determined Byrne.
Coming off a fifth-round stoppage win Byrne intends to use Dolphil Promotions' heavily laidened bill as the springboard to the world title shot that he craves.
“The plan is to keep busy, I need to keep improving my record," Byrne added.
"I don’t want to be sitting around waiting – I need fights to achieve my goals. I had a year out of the ring sorting out of the ring and in my return bout I felt the year off in my performance and I don’t want to repeat that.
“I don’t plan on the fight going the full six rounds. I am going to show the crowd the best of me and then I plan of getting whomever is in front of me out of there.
“It’s more important to put on a show in front of my home crowd than in any fight I have had before. I approach every fight like it is a world title fight but this is something different and I will be looking to impress my home fans,” added "Irish Lightening".
Also on the 11-fight bill is Limerick’s Willie "Big Bang" Casey who returns to Ireland following his victory in the SKY Sports Prizefighter series. An All-Ireland battle between Dublin’s Anthony Fitzgerald and Belfast’s Phil Townley is set to thrill the fans, whilst Ireland’s first ever female professional boxer Christina McMahon also features.
