Callum Walsh KOs Przemyslaw Runowski in first Ireland appearance

Junior middleweight Callum Walsh scored a highlight-reel knockout over Przemyslaw Runowski in front of a raucous home crowd on Friday at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland.

Walsh (12-0, 10 KOs) stopped Runowski (22-3-1, 6 KOs) at 2:06 of the second round, marking a successful homecoming for Ireland's 23-year-old Walsh, who previously had yet to fight in his home country as a pro.

Walsh started cautiously, looking to counter as the lively Dublin crowd roared him on. Despite limited power, Runowski pressed forward but was stunned by a left hand from Walsh late in the first round. Redness began to show on Runowski’s body as Walsh closed the round with a sharp straight left.

In the second round, Walsh opened with a body shot from the southpaw stance, then dropped his hands to his hips, emulating a gunslinger demeanor. He soon floored Runowski with a powerful left hand after absorbing a right hand from his opponent. Though Runowski beat the count right at 10, the referee waved off the contest.

A representative from 360 Promotions confirmed to BoxingScene that the event was a sellout, with 8,000 in attendance. The fight, promoted by 360 Promotions, was broadcast globally on UFC Fight Pass.

Following the fight, Walsh joked about the festive atmosphere, saying, "I hope Dana White [UFC's CEO and president] brought his umbrella” – a reference to the beers flying down to the ring after his win.

Reflecting on his knockout, Walsh added, “This is unbelievable. They said he’d never been stopped until he faced me. I just hit too hard.”

Walsh, who is riding a three-fight knockout streak, hinted at frequent returns to Ireland for future fights. “Dana White told me we’re coming back. This is just the beginning,” he said.

With eyes on bigger challenges, Walsh declared, “I’m a contender, not a prospect. I’m coming for all the belts, and I want to bring them back to the Irish people.”

Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.