Cork's Steven Cairns crowned WBA Continental Lightweight champion after big win over English fighter Arnie Dawson

Cork’s professional boxer Steven (the Irish takeover) Cairns was crowned the WBA Continental Lightweight champion when he stopped English fighter Arnie Dawson in a Queensberry Promotion event at the 3Arena in Dublin last Saturday night.

This was Cairns biggest test to date in his career, however, he put in another fantastic performance to send his opponent to the canvas three times in the ninth round causing the referee to step in and stop the fight.

The opening four rounds was a cagey affair with the Cork man certainly the busier fighter and Dawson working behind his high guard, however, Cairns did land some telling shots to win the rounds.

Cairns began to show more authority in the fifth round by pushing the pace that had his opponent on the back foot. 

He was certainly finding his range and rocked Dawson with a powerful overhead right to the head.

He caught Dawson again early in the sixth with a punishing shot that redden the right side of his opponents body. 

Cairns was now in full control of the fight landing some heavy shots at every opportunity.

In fairness to his opponent he showed great courage in the next two rounds by taking some punishing shots as Cairns upped the tempo.

Cairns came out for the ninth round and dropped Dawson in the opening 30 seconds with a powerful overhead right to the head. 

Dawson got up but Cairns hunted him down and dropped him against with a good combination. 

Dawson got up again, however, the Cork man jumped on him to send him back on the canvas again with a powerful right to the head and the referee jumped in to stop the fight.

“Look man this is the best night of my life as a professional fighter, to win here in such a huge event,” an emotional Steven said after his fight.

“To look out here to see so many people here from Cork who spend their hard earned money to travel three hours up here to support me its so special.

“I knew this would be a difficult fight as my opponent is a tough and game opponent and he certainly came here to win tonight.

“I kept listening to Dave in my corner and followed every instruction and follow our game plan.

“As once I knew I hurt him in the middle of the fight as I saw it in his eyes and the eyes never lie. 

"I then chased him down by cutting off the ring and landed some big shots, but to his credit he got off the canvas three times.

“I am not looking too much into the future as I want to enjoy this victory back in Cork in the coming days, but seriously I want to continue to fight the big fights and titles in the future.

“I have been away from home for the last four years in Sheffield and have sacrificed so much to get where I am today, however, nights like this makes everything worth it.

“This is my very first belt I won because even though I won five Irish National Championships I received a certificate and a medal, however, isn’t this such a pretty belt,” Cairns added.