BOXING: It's a rarity these days in sport to come across the real deal but that's what Bernard Dunne appears to be.

For over three years now he has built up a solid reputation in the US fighting out of Freddie Roach's prestigious gym in Los Angeles, with 12 professional victories to date, but just about making the sports columns this side of the Atlantic.

Tucked away from the Irish public's consciousness in Santa Monica, Dunne is now on the verge of filling the void left in Irish boxing by the decline of Steve Collins and Wayne McCullough.

The 24-year-old featherweight finally unleashes his full array of talent in Dublin on February 19th against former Commonwealth and British title challenger Jim Betts (18 wins and three defeats) at the National Stadium.

The RTÉ cameras will be present with another Dublin native in super middleweight Jim Rock, who fights Peter Jackson. The former Irish Olympian Francis Barrett, Robbie Murray and Paul Hyland are on the undercard.

For Dunne this is a stepping stone to a shot at the European title currently held by Englishman Nicky Cook and then, as he calmly put it himself, world domination.

That should not be misinterpreted as arrogance though as he has the tools to back up the words.

"I've sparred with some of the best present-day fighters you can think of," he explained. "I've sparred with Manny Pacquiao, who's probably the best featherweight around at the moment. (He) knocked out (Marco Antonio) Barrera after 11 rounds and Barrera has just knocked out (Erik) Morales. I work with this guy day in day out. You don't get much better than that."

Add James Toney, who just knocked out Evander Holyfield, Johnny Tapia and Sugar Shane Moseley to the list of sparring partners and it becomes apparent why this young man from Neilstown is being tipped for the top.

It's not out of the question he has the potential and fire-power to revive the hysteria created by Barry McGuigan's defeat of world champion Eusebio Pedrosa 20 years ago in the same weight category. The former Dublin University student, went professional soon after he felt he was mistreated at the Sydney Games.

"I did go out to Sydney but had a bad experience out there with the association.

"Never got to fight but I qualified as a reserve and that wasn't a problem. A couple of things happened. I was out of the village, they weren't looking after me. I was supposed to be the top-notch star at that stage and I didn't get looked after.

"So I had to decide do I want to wait around four years and maybe go through the same experience or do I want to see can I make a few quid out of it. You know?

"I definitely made the right decision. I do miss the association. I miss going away with the team. That's what I miss; I miss my mates."

Signed up by Sugar Ray Leonard promotions his progression looked set to continue indefinitely in America until Sugar Ray, along with Sylvester Stallone, signed up for NBC reality TV show The Contender. Basically, pop idol for fighters.

Dunne was offered a chance to be involved but those close to him like manager, and Meath publican, Brian Peters, trainers Roche and Justin Fortune advised against entering primetime via that route.

"I became a boxer to be world champion not to be a celebrity big brother contestant. That's the vibe they were going on and that's not what I wanted.

"I'm a free agent now and it has given me a great opportunity. I can fight anywhere I want to now. We can pick and choose now unless we are signed up by someone after this fight, which we are not in a rush to do. If something becomes too big we will have to look at it again."

The Trinity experience sounds strange in the middle of all this but he had a year there on a full scholarship, naturally winning his colours match as well.

"I studied human anatomy and won my colours," he laughed. "It's not hard when you have 100 odd fights to box a couple of college kids but that was fantastic and they still keep in touch."

Fully fit, he begins the final preparations for Betts on Monday in the Holy Trinity club, Belfast.

With neither Roach nor Fortune able to travel Harry Hawkins has been drafted into the corner.