BOXING: Bernard Dunne has been preparing for most of his life for his October 14th bid for a minor world title in the stadium. He left home, abandoned the cosy amateur scene in Ireland, planned and plotted his way up the ladder. And here he is, at the beginning of something big.
Others on the Dunne card are accidental tourists, arrivistas. Oisín Fagan is one such, who 10 years ago hoped that his sporting career would be in soccer.
Playing for Portmarnock in the Leinster Junior Cup final against Cherry Orchard in 1996, Fagan's left-wing efforts were enough to catch the eye of two watching scouts. One was Jeff Sleight, Leeds United's eyes in Ireland, the other from Chicago University.
"I ended up going to Chicago and was offered a nine-10ths scholarship. But that was even too expensive," says Fagan. "My details were then posted on the internet and a coach from Oklahoma picked up on it."
By then the extent of Fagan's boxing career had been three amateur fights in Ireland spaced out over about six years. "I won the three of them," he says. "But they were in the novice category."
The football at Oklahoma on full scholarship went well and Fagan graduated with a degree in political journalism. But his knees were not as robust as his enthusiasm and in 2002 his cartilage gave out, ending his career at 28.
"At the end of the last year I hurt my knee. I was going to head back to Ireland but I had no money for the fare home. I was told that a local guy did boxing shows so I said why not. I was put in against a local guy and I knocked him out in four rounds."
That was the first of 11 professional fights which led Fagan to the Oklahoma State lightweight title. He never did return to Ireland but picked up a job teaching PE in a local school, Columbus Elementary. A return to Dublin now has finally happened, if three years later than he had planned.
"I know I'm not a world-beater but I'll give anyone a good go," says Fagan. "It seems to me that if you work hard enough, rewards will come. Now I'm lightweight champion of Oklahoma. But I'm under no illusions, Oklahoma is not the fight capital of the world."
Fagan has shown that he can mix it with the best and at the MGM in Las Vegas last year was outpointed by Julio Cesar Chavez, the highly regarded son of the legendary boxer of the same name.
"I felt I won the fight and afterwards George Foreman (former world heavyweight champion), who was commentating said that I was unlucky not to get the result but that it was Las Vegas. I'd never have gotten the result unless I'd knocked him out. I was offered a rematch next week but I'd already committed to Brian Peters for the weekend in Dublin. But maybe it will come around again. I'm hoping nobody knocks him out in the meantime."
From Portmarnock Football Club via Tallaght to Oklahoma and now the Stadium, at 31 years of age time isn't with him. No matter, Fagan's campaign for the Irish lightweight title has begun.
