Bernard Dunne (Born 1980 in Clondalkin, Neilstown, County Dublin, Ireland) is a professional boxer and the current WBA Ordinary Super Bantamweight World Champion. He is a former European Super Bantamweight champion. On Saturday 21 March 2009, Dunne defeated Ricardo Cordoba in the 11th round to become the WBA Super Bantamweight World Champion.
Dunne boxed at amateur level for Ireland where he had a record of 119-11, captured 13 Irish titles but didn't qualify for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Dunne was also never beaten by an Irishman in his amateur career.
Dunne began his professional boxing career in December 2001 in the United States, winning his first fight. Dunne won his first fourteen bouts in the United States before returning to Dublin under manager Brian Peters. Peters negotiated a deal with Irish public broadcaster RTE whereby Dunne's fights in Dublin would be shown live on national television. It was the first such deal for an Irish boxer. Dunne won the lowly regarded IBC super bantamweight title by beating Sean Hughes in the National Stadium in Dublin.
On 21 March 2009 Dunne faced off against WBA Super Bantamweight world champion Ricardo Cordoba in the O2 Arena, Dublin. This was the first world boxing championship fight in Dublin for 13 years. Dunne went on to win in a thrilling fight knocking Cordoba out in the 11th round marking the end to a historic day for Irish sports as the international rugby team had won a Six Nations Grand Slam earlier in the day. Jimmy Magee pointed out that 61 years ago Ireland won a Six Nations Grand Slam and a Boxing World Title on the same day. On the 10 April 2009 Dunne was crowned boxer of the month for March by the World Boxing Association.
On Friday 19th February 2010, Bernard Dunne retired as a Professional Boxer and is looking forward to the future!
