Lynn Harvey habours Headline dream

“He has the potential to bring the Bernard Dunne days back.”

It’s a comment delivered by many a promoter since the great days of the ‘Dublin Destroyer’ came to an end.

Fight fans have also put various names in front of the aforementioned phrase at various times. Dunne himself backed Stephen Ormond to fill the void, Willie Casey fought live on RTÉ and brought European and WBA Interim title fights to Ireland, Matchroom planned a resurgence lead by Matthew Macklin until Jorge Sebastian Heiland ruined the party, while the lure of big fights in America meant Andy Lee never focused on securing a Dublin or even Limerick base.

Belfast has enjoyed success via Martin Rogan, Paul McCloskey, and most famously Carl Frampton, but Dublin is still awaiting a new crossover hero.

Ireland’s latest female pro Lynn Harvey [1(1)-0] isn’t predicting a Dunne-style revolution or anything like it, but does believe she has the talent and capabilities to eventually top Dublin fight cards.

Harvey, who fights for the second time as a pro on Red Corner’s debut promotion at the National Stadium on November 5th, knows there is a lot of work to be done, and fights to be won, but she isn’t ruling headlining out.

“Of course I could,” she responded when asked about the possibility by Irish-Boxing.com.

“Not at the moment, I am down the pecking order, and there are so many great fighters with good profiles out there, but why wouldn’t I believe I could one day get there? There is the ‘something different’ element, and I believe I am in entertaining fights. Also, I am not here just to have fights, I want to have big fights and win titles. Why couldn’t I top a bill one day in a big title fight?”

It’s not just ‘boxer talk’ from the Kilbarrack former Novice, Intermediate and Senior champion. There is some rationale behind the predictions. It is something Ireland’s leading pro lady, Christina McMahon has threatened to do of late, and Harvey is aware of the fact that she can make World title grade a lot quicker than a host of her male counterparts.

“I know there are things that have to happen beforehand, and I need a few fights first. Then again I will move up the ranks quicker because I am a flyweight and a female. Before my debut I checked; there were 131 flyweights and I wasn’t ranked. I fought once and I jump up to 50,if that is anything to go by then I could be up there with three or four good fights.”