The 3Arena was treated to an unforgettable night of championship boxing as Mark Chamberlain produced the signature win of his career, stopping Dublin’s own Pierce O’Leary in the 10th round of a chaotic, four-knockdown thriller. In the co-featured bout, rising contender Royston Barney-Smith showcased poise and slick ring craft to earn a wide unanimous decision victory over veteran warrior Reece Bellotti.
Main Event: Mark Chamberlain TKO10 Pierce O’Leary
Stoppage Time: 1:37, Round 10
Titles at Stake: IBO Junior Welterweight (Super Lightweight) Championship
Knockdowns: Chamberlain (R2, R3, R10); O’Leary (R7)
In an explosive candidate for Fight of the Year, Portsmouth southpaw Mark Chamberlain (18-1-1, 13 KOs) seized the IBO junior welterweight strap from previously unbeaten hometown favorite Pierce O'Leary (19-1, 11 KOs) after ten brutal, heart-stopping rounds.
Round-by-Round Drama
Early Onslaught: Chamberlain silenced the vocal Dublin crowd early, dropping the champion in Round 2 with a straight left hand that left O’Leary bloodied. Late in Round 3, Chamberlain struck again, flooring O'Leary with a crisp hook to put the Irishman in deep water.
The Irish Rally: Exhibiting tremendous resilience, O'Leary stormed back through rounds 4, 5, and 6 despite fighting with a suspect broken nose. High pressure and grueling inside work turned the tide, culminating in Round 7 when O'Leary trapped Chamberlain near the corner and dropped him with a punishing body shot.
The Stoppage: After Chamberlain re-established his jab in Round 8, the decisive moment came in the 10th. A lethal left uppercut split O’Leary’s guard, followed by a relentless barrage that sent the Dubliner down for the third time. Referee Leszek Jankowiak immediately waved off the contest at 1:37 of the 10th round.
Co-Feature: Royston Barney-Smith UD10 Reece Bellotti
Official Scores: 100-90, 99-91, 98-92
Titles Captured/Retained: Vacant IBO Inter-Continental Junior Lightweight Title & WBO European Belt
In the super featherweight division, 22-year-old southpaw prodigy Royston Barney-Smith (17-0, 8 KOs) recorded the biggest win of his blossoming career by outpointing former British and Commonwealth champion Reece Bellotti (20-8, 15 KOs) over ten structured rounds.
Barney-Smith used lateral movement, precise timing, and rapid-fire counter combinations to keep the aggressive Bellotti at bay. While Bellotti generated pockets of success in the middle rounds by trapping the prospect against the ropes, Barney-Smith repeatedly answered with clean straight lefts and body strikes to seal a commanding unanimous decision victory.
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