Heffron on cloud nine

Mark Heffron: fine win

Boxing:

TRAINER David Murray believes a bright future is pretty much guaranteed for Mark Heffron after the Oldham middleweight extended his unbeaten professional record in style.

Heffron (22) zoomed up the WBC world rankings with a convincing points victory against tough-as-teak Argentine Mateo Damian Veron at the National Stadium in Dublin.

The Oldham ace battled through eight tough rounds and won the lot courtesy of another classy performance, securing an 80 points to 72 decision from referee Emile Tiedt.

That’s nine wins from nine pro fights for Heffron.

Murray, from the Northside gym in Clayton, said: “All round it was a great effort from Mark.

“It was good to get a tough eight rounds under his belt. Veron was a tricky opponent with a good record (19 wins from 30 fights), but Mark showed lots of skill, great footwork and an array of shots which made sure he was on top throughout.

“Mark is now up to number 18 in the WBC rankings and everything’s going for him. We’re all excited for him, and what success he’s capable of enjoying, and as for the lad himself — there’s no holding him back at the moment.”

Heffron was delighted with his performance: “It was a brilliant night. There were 2,000 boxing fans cheering me on and the atmosphere was great. I came close to stopping Veron a couple of times, but it was a good night for me — a good learning fight.”