MICHAEL CONLAN broke down in tears after securing a sensational knockout of Jack Bateson in his big return to Dublin.
The former interim WBA featherweight champion breathed new back into his career with a scorcher of a KO of the Leeds lad Bateson on Friday night.
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The finish came in the fourth round courtesy of a beautifully set-up right hand.
Bateson, 31, managed to beat the count but was clearly compromised by the sensational shot.
And the referee sent fans in attendance at the 3Arena into pandemonium by mercifully waving off the canvas.
Conlan was overcome with emotion and shed a tear as the magnitude of his win sunk in.
In his state of ecstasy, he roared: “I’m back.”
Conlan, who three years ago was on the receiving end of a horror KO at the hands of Leigh Wood, is now 4-2 in his last six outings.
He said in his post-fight interview: “It’s very special to comeback to Dublin for the first time in ten years, to have my first pro fight here.
“I want to bring big-time boxing back to Ireland, we are massive and this fanbase is huge, I am so very proud.
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“The finish was everything we had worked on in training, my trainer Grant Smith is a mastermind.
“I feel strong and fit, I feel great.”
Boxing fans will now be itching to see if Conlan can return to world level and get his hands on a full version of one of the many belts out there.
But he’ll rightly enjoy a well-earned rest before getting back in the gym with relatively new head coach Grant Smith.
