Padraig McCrory returned to winning ways with a decision victory over Leonard Carrillo on Friday in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

McCrory was boxing for the first time since his loss to Edgar Berlanga earlier in the year, and he dropped Carrillo in the first on his way to a too-wide 98-91 decision victory.

Carrillo was clearly disappointed with the verdict and promptly left the ring.

It was ProBox TV’s first foray into international waters, with McCrory-Carrillo topping the bill at SSE Arena in Belfast, as the Irishman improved to 19-1 (9 KOs). Carrillo is now 17-6 (16 KOs).

A well-travelled southpaw, Carillo was a handful for much of the fight, though his engine let him down in the final third of the contest.

McCrory took a good left hand in the early going – a warning sign – but, with his back to the ropes, he countered Carrillo with a right to the top of the head and the Colombian was deposited on the canvas.

Moments later, Carillo – who trains in Spain – crashed home a big left hand, and he had McCrory on jittery legs for the remainder of the round.

It was a wild opening session.

McCrory was trying to clear the cobwebs in the second, but Carrillo was bringing the heat. Every shot he threw was big, and he started to work the Irishman’s body, too.

Carrillo showboated when McCrory landed a right to his body, but the criticism for Carrillo was that he was trying to load up too much while McCrory was now waiting too long to let his hands go.

In the third, Carrillo tried to time McCrory with his right hook. He dropped his hands and goaded McCrory into leading, but the Irishman now respected the power and was reluctant to accept the invitation. Near the end of the frame, Carrillo mixed it up and tried to lure McCrory onto his booming left hand, but he was warned for hitting behind the head in the fourth.

Carrillo landed a brace of left hands to close a quieter fifth, but there were signs that Carrillo was gassing in the sixth and McCrory had survived the worst of what the Spain-based Colombian had to offer.

Offensively, McCrory was not doing a lot, but he was flicking his jab into his opponent’s face and shoveling his right hand into the body with more regularity.

McCrory bled from the left eye in a largely tepid eighth, and both were feeling the pace with two sessions remaining.

The ninth was more entertaining. Carrillo started fast, but McCrory picked his spots well and took the sting out of Carrillo’s ambition with sharp jabs and body work, although Carrillo landed some good straight lefts to close the round.

Both had their moments in the 10th and final round. Carrillo finished strong and hurt McCrory near the end of the bout. He was starting to break up a weary McCrory in a neutral corner at the bell, but the game Irishman stood firm.

It was a tough fight that had its moments, and it seemed closer than scoring referee Hugh Russell Jnr had it.