MATTHEW MACKLIN’S DUBLIN homecoming ended in disappointment as he was knocked out by Jorge Sebastian Heiland.

The fitter, faster Heiland dominated the WBC title eliminator in the 3Arena before delivering a knockout combo early in the 10th round.

This was the capital’s biggest night of professional boxing since Bernard Dunne’s heyday, and earlier this week Macklin admitted that his career was effectively on the line.

A win would have moved him into pole position for another world title shot, his fourth, and a potential showdown with the legendary Miguel Cotto.

Instead it is his Argentinian opponent who can now set his sights on the middleweight division’s biggest names after he emphatically retained his WBC international belt.

“Maybe I’m getting old,” a resigned Macklin conceded on a night when he looked every one of his 32 years. The younger Heiland, 27, took control in the early rounds and never relented.
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Macklin’s best moments came in brief flurries but too often he found himself backed up onto the ropes and into the corners by his hard-hitting opponent.

If Macklin’s tactics were designed to wear the Argentinian out, it was a fool’s errand. By the middle rounds only one man looked to be flagging, much to the frustration of the home fans.

Inevitable as it was, the finish was sudden when it arrived after 42 seconds of the 10th round. Heiland forced Macklin into a corner again and connected with a combination that saw Dutch referee Robert Verwijs wave off the fight without a moment’s hesitation.

Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

Earlier in the evening, Cork’s Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan delivered an emphatic statement with a first-round KO of Dublin’s Anthony Fitzgerald.

This was billed as a grudge match five years in the making but it took little over a minute to settle it. Fitzgerald, buoyed by the strong Dublin crowd, looked to set a frantic pace but O’Sullivan bided his time and then connected with an uppercut that was as sweet as it was final.

'Spike' O'Sullivan celebrates. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

That was followed by an equally clinical performance from Olympic silver medallist John Joe Nevin, fighting in Ireland for the first time since turning professional.

Nevin’s win took marginally longer — arriving after 1:28 of the first round — though his opponent Jack Heath already looked to be well out of his depth at that early stage.

Earlier in the evening there were also emphatic stoppages by up-and-coming Dubliner Luke Keeler as well as former national amateur champion Tommy McCarthy.

Birmingham’s Kal Yafai retained his IBF Inter-Continental Super-Flyweight belt with a one-sided decision over Everth Briceno, while Manchester lightweight Anthony Crolla beat Gyorgy Mizsei Jr on points as he tunes up for a shot at WBA champ Richar Abril in January.

Results

• Jorge Sebastian Heiland bt Matthew Macklin KO10 (0:42)
• Kal Yafai bt Everth Briceno UD (119-106, 118-105, 120-104)
• Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan bt Anthony Fitzgerald KO1 (1:15)
• John Joe Nevin bt Jack Heath TKO1 (1:28)
• Anthony Crolla bt Gyorgy Mizsei Jr PTS (60-54)
• Luke Keeler bt Gary Boulden TKO1 (2:17)
• Tommy McCarthy bt Martin Horak TKO2 (0:59)
• Patrick Hyland bt Oszkar Fiko PTS (80-72)
• Jono Carroll bt Declan Geraghty DQ
• Sam Eggington bt Sebastien Allais KO1
• Ian Tims bt Paul Drago KO1
• Kofi Yates bt Oisin Fagan TKO2
• David Maguire bt Paul Morris TKO2

Shane Curran just announced his retirement from Gaelic football at 43 years of age