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Belfast boxer Paddy Barnes is the new WBO Intercontinental Flyweight Champion after defeating Eliecer Quezada in the sixth round. Box Nation described Barnes' display as "mature" and noted that the boxer had a "perfect punch in his victory. The win against the Nicaraguan fighter marks Barnes' fifth professional win since going pro in 2016. Just before Barnes' victory, Jono Carroll won the vacant IBF Intercontinental title.
You can watch the whole fight here: If you just want the final blow, you can get it here, via Ryan Songalia:
Paddy Barnes (@paddyb_ireland) scores a sizzling sixth round body shot KO, the first of his career, over Eliecer Quezada #boxing pic.twitter.com/Jhk3isioK9
— Ryan Songalia (@ryansongalia) November 18, 2017
The fight was held as part of the undercard of Carl Frampton's homecoming to Northern Ireland. Frampton fought Horacio Garcia later in the card. Barnes beat Quezada with a beautiful left hook body shot in the sixth. The win will most definitely take Barnes into a Top 10 ranking in the world.
In an interview with the BBC prior to the bout, Barnes had said that he didn't feel Irish boxing gets the respect it deserves. Barnes said, "Boxing will be a major force in Irish sport again. At amateur level, we had a golden era of multiple medals at world, European and Olympic games. Now they've turned over to professional. We've got Carl Frampton unifying divisions, Ryan Burnett, recently, unifying divisions and Jamie Conlan just about to win a world here and myself in the near future. Professional boxing at the minute is booming, plus you've got people coming up behind us how are picking up titles too so Irish boxing couldn't be at a better place at the minute."
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Many fight fans remember Barnes from his Olympic exploits with the Irish team in 2008 and 2012 where he won two bronze medals in the light-flyweight division. Barnes has also represented Northern Ireland in the Commonwealth Games where he won gold in the same division in 2010 and 2014.
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