CONOR O’Donovan packed a punch on his Irish debut.

The Macroom-born boxer made his highly anticipated Irish debut in Cork city’s Parochial Hall, as part of the card for Christina Desmond v Louise Creaven.

Nicknamed ‘The Bullet’, O’Donovan showed his speed, steel and class when he stepped into the ring against seasoned opponent Jake Smith, who travelled from Doncaster for the challenge.

Having surprised the promoters with the huge number of tickets sold, O’Donovan’s fans were not disappointed.

They came from Clonmel, where he now lives, from Macroom, where he started life, and from Bandon, where he trains with De Courcey Boxing Club under the guidance of his coach and manager Will Rossall.

O’Donovan started off the bout cool and calculated, sizing up Smith. As the rounds progressed, he upped the tempo, displaying a class too good for the Englishman.

This victory brings his tally to four wins and no losses since turning pro earlier this year.

‘We have had a great year so far but it may not be over yet. We are in negotiations already and if it works out we hope to be out again before Christmas. Conor is catching the eye of many in the boxing industry, so 2027 looks to be another busy year,’ explained his promoter Dave Burke.

‘We are looking to connect with a couple of sponsors to join us on our journey, as Conor is destined to go far.’

Coach Will Rossall says it all went to plan on Friday, adding: ‘Conor knows what he needs to do and he does it. It was great to have Conor’s first Irish outing on such a stacked card.’

The message from the O’Donovan camp is to watch this space – there is plenty more to come.