BOXING / News: The view of a number of Irish bookmakers is that nothing sinister took place regarding the betting patterns surrounding the Irish lightweight bout between Peter McDonagh and Michael Gomez in the National Stadium late on Saturday night.

Rank outsider McDonagh won the title despite having just one victory in his last seven outings, while Gomez (10 to 1 on) was a former world champion.

The bookmakers that suspended betting, Boylesports, say they believed nothing "untoward" had taken place although they did close the book and paid out on odds ranging from 125 to 1 to 20 to 1. They also confirmed yesterday most money was placed on McDonagh winning in the eighth round, while he actually won the controversial fight in the fifth round when Gomez turned his back and stopped defending himself. To many looking on that does not appear to be the most profitable way to conduct and execute a betting scam.

Two other principal bookmakers in Ireland, Paddy Power and Barney Eastwood, the biggest betting shop in Northern Ireland, reported no unusual betting activity surrounding the fight.

"We'd no irregularities in the betting," said an Eastwood spokesman Seán Lynch. "No substantial bets were taken. We'd no problems at all. As far as boxing goes we'd be well up to date on what's going on but we'd definitely no problem with it last weekend."

Paddy Power, similarly had few problems while no other bookmaker other than Boylesports has reported suspending the betting. "We never suspended betting," said a Paddy Power spokesman.

Boylesports said yesterday none of the betting took place on the internet, all arriving from people walking into their retail outlets. They declined to say how much money was bet overall or how much money was wagered on McDonagh beating Gomez in the fifth round. They also declined to say how much they had paid out.

Both Gomez and his trainer Billy Graham denied anything was pre-arranged. "It came to me in the fifth round. That was it. Too many hard battles. It just came to me then," said Gomez trying to explain the fight's ending in an RTÉ interview.

The Boxing Union of Ireland (BUI) has already begun to carry out an investigation into the outcome of the fight and not for the first time.

"No this is not the first time we have conducted an investigation," said BUI president Mel Christle. "We did it three years ago in relation to a fighter who put up no adequate resistance when fighting Ireland's Jim Rock. In that instance the purse was withheld. It was quite clear on video evidence that the fighter (Wayne Alexander) did not engage in a bout.

"Regarding the Gomez fight with McDonagh I have already been in touch twice with the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC) in order to get a submission from both fighters either written or oral. I have also asked for any information that might be relevant such as any of the fighters having been subject to a prior inquiry."

The BUI will also receive a report from referee Seán Russell and also a medical report from the two doctors present at the fight, Dr David O'Flaherty and Dr Lisa Neligan.

"We will also review a video of the fight," added Christle. "Once we receive the full information from all sources I will sit down with the other three members of the executive, Joseph Keegan, Fancy McCullagh and Christopher Nutty and come to a reasoned conclusion."

The decision will be made within 21 days of the fight taking place.