MICHAEL CONLAN DROPS, STOPS JACK BATESON IN 4 TO COMPLETE DUBLIN HOMECOMING
Two-time world title challenger Michael Conlan reignited his quest for legacy-enhancing bouts and more lucrative opportunities after a perfectly disguised sequence saw him send Jack Bateson crashing to the canvas with a right hand that wouldn't miss.
Having dropped the Leeds man a round earlier with a right hook, Conlan sent Dublin's 3Arena into raptures after an electric entrance was matched by a more purposeful performance to remind critics why he extended his career — for nights like these.
Six months after labouring to an eight-round points win over Asad Asif Khan in Brighton, questions were asked about Conlan's physical capabilities — and defensive tendencies — to wisely engage in the awe-inspiring nights that British boxing prides itself upon.
Bateson (20-2-1, 6 KOs), a former English junior featherweight titleholder, is no world beater, but he was well aware about the magnitude of this opportunity against a former sparring partner, representing a credible, if unspectacular, test Conlan (20-3, 10 KOs) passed in style.
Bateson badly hurt his ankle after the second knockdown, unable to put weight on it as he returned to his feet and the referee waved it off. Conlan enjoyed a teary-eyed celebration with head trainer Grant Smith during a whirlwind few minutes for the eight-year pro.
Having begun their contest from the orthodox stance, he continued switching to southpaw with mixed success as the former amateur standout gauged the distance and looked to settle into a rhythm at range against Bateson.
Targeting the body and looking to nullify the younger man's counterpunching efforts, it worked a treat as he controlled the fight's tempo and made it a slow-burning affair in which he could explode with combination punches or uppercuts at a moment's notice.
He did so expertly to earn a 10-8 round in the third before finishing with a flourish the round afterwards.
What's next? Options open
After a warm embrace with his children, he was thankful for the support shown and insisted this was a glowing advert for boxing in his hometown during a bullish post-fight interview on British terrestrial television, shown live on Channel 5 in the UK and Triller in U.S. territories.
"It's very special, to fight in Dublin for the first time in 10 years," he said. "I'm very proud. Look at this crowd, still here and singing. Thank you everybody."
"I'm happy Channel 5 have seen this. They'll want [atmosphere, optics]. This show wasn't promoted amazingly, could've been better. This week alone I've had 2,000 people looking for tickets — all sold out — the Irish are unbelievable.
"Everything we worked on in training camp, Grant has made me part of that family, a master technician as a coach and everything we worked on happened. I am back, ready to go."
His promoter, Kalle Sauerland, was asked where they go from here with Conlan and he floated a handful of possibilities, from a Leigh Wood rematch and Josh Warrington matchup to exploring his WBC route, mentioning Nathaniel Collins after winning their ranking title.
"There's lots of options but let's enjoy tonight," Sauerland said. "He's worked a lifetime for this. Jack came to fight but there was just no stopping him. He [Conlan] was deflated and quiet all week, but now he's shouting and look. Such a professional. Can't wait to do it again for the gold."
Full undercard results
Junior bantamweight: Charlie Edwards UD10 (96-94, 99-91, 99-91) Salvador Juarez
Junior welterweight: Ben Marksby PTS10 (97-95) Senan Kelly
Junior middleweight: Dan Toward PTS8 (79-74) Khalid Ennachat
Junior middle: Dean Walsh PTS8 (79-73) Jamil Elo
Junior middle: Glenn Byrne PTS6 (58-56) Jacob Quinn
Junior lightweight: Codie Smith PTS6 (60-54) Mario Victorino Vera
Super middleweight: Kevin Cronin PTS6 (59-55) Grant Dennis
Welterweight: Kieran Molloy TKO3 Nourdeen Toure
Junior featherweight: Paul Loonam PTS6 Jake Pollard
Featherweight: Cain Lewis PTS4 Erick Omar Lopez
