By Mark Vester

They said he would be tested. They said Kiko Martinez (17-0, 14KOs) would be the toughest challenge in the young career of Dublin star Bernard Dunne (24-1, 14KOs). And boy were they right.

Martinez of Spain, regarded as a monster puncher, stopped Dunne in 86-seconds of the first round in their super bantamweight bout at The Point in Dublin, Ireland. Martinez was the mandatory to Dunne's European super bantamweight title and snatches the belt in stunning fashion.

From the opening bell, Martinez came out with sheer aggression and began to assault Dunne with hard punches, sending him down twice within a minute. A flurry of punches sent Dunne down the first time. Seconds later, a hard right hand put him down once again.

Dunne tried to get away, but Martinez trapped him against the ropes and let his hands go. Referee Terry O'Connor was forced to stop the action after Dunne was being battered with more than half the round to go.

Dunne suffers the first loss of his career and Martinez is the new star of the super bantamweight division.

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