RYAN BURNETTย had expected his world-title fight with Lee Haskins to be stopped in the opening rounds because of the cuts suffered by each fighter in the second.
An accidental clash of heads opened significant wounds over both fightersโ right eyes โ new IBF bantamweight champion Burnettโs bled heavily โ and his trainer Adam Booth responded by telling him he only had two more rounds to fulfil his dream.
The 25-year-old then continued the sharp and exceptional performance he had threatened from the opening bell, outclassing and outpointing the proven champion at Belfastโs Odyssey Arena and potentially ending the underrated Haskinsโ career at world level.
Burnett is unlikely to return until October or November to allow his cut to properly heal, and he said: โThis was the first time Iโd ever experienced that, but me and Adam have gone over this situation before.
โWhen it happened, it was as if itโs happened before; I knew exactly how to deal with it. Thatโs why I didnโt pay no attention to it, even when the blood was in my eyes and I couldnโt see. It didnโt faze me at all.
โWe knew my speed would give me a bit of an advantage: that was something weโd worked on in camp.
โItโs something special. Iโm in a position now where I can go on and give myself and my family a good life if I keep doing what Iโm doing, and at the end of the day thatโs what itโs all about.
โI havenโt been home in two-and-a-half months. I just want to go home to my family. Weโre in a great position now: we can make these good fights, and itโs all there for me. I turned 25 two weeks ago: Iโve still got so much to learn.โ
Booth had said: โI told Ryan after the [cuts in the] second round, โThis fightโs not going 12 rounds, youโre both cut too badly, win every moment of the next two rounds because itโs going to go to a technical decisionโ. The referee [Marcus McDonnell] did an immaculate job.โ
The only other blemish on Burnettโs evening came when one of the three judges scored Haskins a 118-108 winner despite Haskins also suffering knockdowns in the sixth and 11th rounds.
His promoter Eddie Hearn later revealed Clark Sammartino, of America, had mistaken the two fightersโ identities, while Booth spoke of how Burnettโs win had surpassed even those he had overseen for the world heavyweight title with David Haye.
โHe was magnificent, because Lee Haskins is not easy to out-trick and out-box, and thatโs exactly what he did for 12 rounds,โ said the trainer, who also led Irelandโs Andy Lee to the WBO middleweight title.
โI havenโt had a world champion after only 17 pro fights whoโs performed like that.
โEverything with David Haye, at cruiserweight, heavyweight, and Andy Lee at middleweight, itโs all special, but thereโs something about what Ryan has achieved: Iโm pretty sure Iโll never see that again with a fighter after only 16 pro fights.โ