Pierce O’Leary added the European super-lightweight title to his collection with this one-sided points win over super-tough Liam Dillon.

O’Leary applied pressure throughout against the 140lb debutant in search of an inside-distance win but he was unable to make the breakthrough he so desperately craved.

Even so, he appeared to be racking up the rounds quite clearly as the rain fell incessantly at Portman Road. But, although the judges all scored him a worthy winner, Dillon was rewarded by them for his efforts on the cards.

Kieran McCann had it very close, with O’Leary winning just 115-113 while Mark Lyson (116-112) amd Lee Every (117-112) scored it wider. Regardless, there was little doubt who won this chief support to the heavyweight clash between Fabio Wardley and Justis Huni in the main event.

Aside from a few low-key outings a few pounds north, Dillon has spent most of his career at super-featherweight where he won the British title in 2023.

But after a victorious debut at lightweight in March of this year, Dillon decided to step up again with this move to 140lbs with an instant shot at the European title his incentive. But it was something of a baptism of fire in the new division, with ‘Big Bang’ O’Leary his opponent.

With the likes of Dalton Smith, Adam Azim, Harlem Eubank and Jack Catterall all competing at 140lbs over the last few years, it has become one of the hottest divisions in British boxing. O’Leary, meanwhile, has shown there is a genuine threat to everyone who remains at super-lightweight lying in wait across the Irish Sea.

With the likes of Ring champion Teofimo Lopez, Richardson Hitchins and Gary Antuane Russell - among many others - all still operating at the weight, it remains one of the busiest divisions and therefore hardest to crack. He recently broke into the top 10 with the WBC and this title will only nudge him closer to the upper echelons of the rankings.

O’Leary had suggested at the pre-fight press conference that he feels his boxing ability is underrated because much is made of his punch power instead. He arrived at the rain-soaked Portman Road 16-0 with nine of those coming early - but two of his previous four outings had gone the 10-round distance against credible opponents Kane Baker and Darragh Foley.

His heavy hands quickly got to work in the first round, with hard left hooks landing to both head and body against Dillon, who was clearly the smaller of the two. Even so, the man from 70 miles down the road in Chingford held firm and began to box his way into the fight, enjoying particular success with uppercuts thrown from low to high.

But by the fifth, O’Leary was starting to turn the screw, and seemed to hurt Dillon with two big left hooks to the body in particular. The Dubliner’s body attack was clearly slowing his opponent down and it was hard to see how the former super-featherweight could stand up to the power for much longer.

However, he dug deep and stood up to the power, although it seemed he was never doing enough to win the rounds. His power did not seem to trouble O’Leary who therefore spent almost the entire fight marching his opponent down in search of a stoppage that never came.

But while it might be an evening tinged with frustration for the ‘Big Bang’, O’Leary marches on to bigger and better things as the European champion.