Belfast youngster Joe Fitzpatrick provided the perfect amuse-bouche tonight on the Mark Dunlop-promoted ‘Champions at the Europa’ dinner show. The Divis lightweight. Fighting Hungarian Peter Mellar, the 2014 Commonwealth silver medalist scored a fourth round knockout against his rarely stopped opponent.

A fast saw saw the Immaculata southpaw come out and attack the body, before momentarily moving upstairs to score some eye-catching headshots. The well-schooled Fitzpatrick would then return to body as the round drew to a close.

‘The Dragon’ continued his assault to the body in the second round, and then finished the stanza out unloading quick combinations to the head.

Fitzpatrick started slow in the third against a now-tired and bloody Mellar, but would close the round out with a minute of continued heavy shots as the Central European looked to hang on.

With Mellar struggling, Fitzpatrick went to work in the final round, unleashing a sustained barrage of unanswered hooks from all angles that left referee Hugh Russell Jr with no choice but to step in and stop the fight.

The 20 year old sensation’s record now reads 3(3)-0, while the over-matched Mellar falls to 4(3)-18(4)-2.

After the bout, Fitzpatrick commented that he had hurt his hand in the opening round of the bout, but it is a testament to the crowd-pleasing youngster that he continued to box positively and the stoppage win is just reward for the hard-working starlet.