Dail sketch/ Frank McNally: Events in a boxing ring in Washington at the weekend were still reverberating when the Dáil resumed.
Kevin McBride's shock win had shown that there is hope for everyone. So when the subject of Garda corruption came up, Opposition leaders were spoiling for a fight, each one hoping that he could be the man to end the career of the notorious Justice Minister "Iron Mike" McDowell.
They had a slight reach problem to overcome. The cafe-barroom brawler wasn't actually in the House, a fact that made him hard to hit.
But the Opposition cunningly reckoned that if they thumped his cornerman (Bertie Ahern) often and hard enough, then - wherever he was - Iron Mike would feel the pain.
So it was that Enda "the Castlebar Colossus" Kenny came out swinging with the suggestion that public confidence in the Minister had never been lower.
Leading with the McBrearty affair, Kenny managed to get a dig in about cafe bars too. Then, in what looked like a low blow, he reminded the Taoiseach of Mr McDowell's reported comments that Fianna Fail was a party of "cowards and ruthless people".
This was an obvious attempt to get the crowd - the one on the benches behind the Taoiseach - on his side.
But showing heroic restraint, the Fianna Fáil backbenchers refused to cheer his attack on the PD man. Meanwhile, Bertie bobbed and weaved, and he and the absent Minister made it to the end of round one without serious damage.
In round two it was the turn of the Ballindine Bruiser, Pat Rabbitte. Bertie was probably expecting an orthodox left lead. But in a move that had those at ringside wincing, Rabbitte hit him instead with the 700-page Morris report - whumph!
The gist of his point was that McDowell was using the report to promote his Garda Bill when in fact Mr Justice Morris had recommended the whole Bill be reviewed.
Bertie bobbed some more, but Iron Mike was behind on points now.
Step forward the Monaghan Mauler Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin.
The Sinn Féin TD was particularly inspired by the success of his fellow county man, and showing unusual speed in getting to the point- he called for the Minister to be sacked.
When Mr Ó Caoláin added that the Taoiseach's defence of Mr McDowell "will sit uncomfortably with your backbenchers", the backbenchers sat uncomfortably.
The Opposition heckled like customers in a super-pub at closing time, but it was as quiet as a continental-style bistro in Ranelagh behind the Taoiseach.
Taunted about all the cafe bars he wouldn't be opening, Mr Ahern just replied mildly: "As long as I can get a drink in a restaurant I'll be very happy."
It was a quiet-spoken heavyweight from Clones - Fine Gael's Seymour Crawford - who caught the mood of the day, however.
Bending the rule for questioning the Government on the Order of Business, he wondered if the Taoiseach would join the congratulations to Kevin McBride on his victory. But Mr Ahern was worn out by the effort of defending the Minister for Justice's title against all-comers, and failed to reply.