PRESS RELEASE: [Dec. 22, 08]
Full Report: Frank Maloney's Dublin Fight Card

European super bantamweight champion Rendall Munroe shared the spotlight on Thursday night at Dublin's City University with Commonwealth bantam ruler Jason Booth and Irish Olympic hero Darren Sutherland, who made a triumphant professional debut at super middleweight on a Frank Maloney promotion.

Munroe weathered a fast start off the blocks by Italian champion Fabrizio Trotta, who proved his near miss at the European Union belt in June was no fluke. Trotta showed superb countering skills, punishing Munroe for every miss but when the European titlist began found his rhythm by the third round, Trotta's luck was about to run out.

Displaying his superb handspeed, Munroe unleashed a vicious body attack that the challenger had no defense against and by the fifth, Trotta was absorbing a one-sided beating from the champion until incurring a hand injury that forced his early retirement.

Munroe retains the European crown for the third time, improving to 17-1 (8), with all defenses coming during a busy second half of 2008. Trotta falls to 13-5-2 (4).

Jason Booth had one of his best performances since losing the IBO super flyweight crown to Damaen Kelly four years ago as the Commonwealth bantam beltholder proved too cagey for seasoned Englishman Sean Hughes.

Hughes had dropped down from super bantam to take the bout but the Yorkshire southpaw couldn't turn a five inch edge in height to his advantage. With a bigger target in front of him than usual, Booth worked the long body of Hughes, inflicting damage to the midsection round after round until the challenger's corner declined to let thir man out for the tenth frame.

Booth wins his fourth consecutive contest and now stands at 31-5 (12) while Hughes goes to 15-8-1 (1).

The most impressive performance of the night belonged to 2008 Olympic Bronze Medallist Darren Sutherland, 1-0 (1), who swarmed Bulgarian import Gerorgi Iliev, 1-5 (1), like a man on fire, nailing the visitor with lighting shots from both hands until a stoppage was obtained at 2:42 of the first round.

The super middle will likely return to action in the spring on the undercard of Jamie Moore's upcoming European light middleweight title challenge against former welterweight world champion Michele Piccirillo.

Former European super bantamweight champion Kiko Martinez, 20-1 (15), got a good workout over six rounds, battering iron-chinned Romanian journeyman Gheorghe Ghiompirica, 8-43 (1), to a 60-55 points ruling.

Martinez will next challenge Rendall Munroe, who took the European title form the Spaniard this past March, in a rematch to be held in England, likely in February.

Irish super bantam champ Paul Hyland, 13-1 (4), dropped down to bantamweight and engaged in a thrilling six rounder against Eugene Heagney, 7-2 (0), before pulling out a points win on a margin of 59-54. The 24 year old from Dublin earned a crack at European bantam titlist Ian Napa early next year.

English super bantam Gary Davies, 8-2-1 (6), took a step up in competition and delivered a superb performance to outgun former British bantamweight beltholder Martin Power, 19-4 (8).

Power absorbed his fourth straight loss, getting stopped at 1:35 of the second frame when he couldn't respond to a two handed battering on the ropes administered by a motivated Davies.

Light middleweights Willie Thompson, 6-0-1 (0), and Karl Chiverton, 10-1-1 (0), went to war and couldn't be separated on the scorecards after four tough rounds, settling for a draw at 38-38.

Flyweight Usman Ahmed, 4-1-1 (0), handed opponent Luke Wilson, 3-1 (1), defeat by a narrow 40-39 points verdict after four close rounds.