Boxing: Super bantamweightWe had 90 seconds to try to fathom what took place. All but the opening few seconds were seen through the prism of a cocktail of blows from 21-year-old Spaniard Kiko Martinez as Bernard Dunne twice picked himself off the canvas with the "mini Tyson" glowering over him.

Dunne is still asking himself what happened, a question to which he had no clear answer after relinquishing his European Super bantamweight title on Saturday night.

For Dunne fans, who again flooded to the Point on Saturday night, it was an evening that ended in disbelief and anguish as their 27-year-old champion fell after one minute and 26 seconds, referee Terry O'Connor rightly judging that after several short bursts of violence in the first round Martinez had done quite enough damage to prevent Dunne from defending himself.

A more vexed issue is what the talented Dubliner will do next. World titles were far from his thoughts after those ambitions were stripped bare by the explosive power of Martinez. In Dunne's camp they will be thinking hard about how their man can diffuse such naked aggression from an opponent the next time he steps into the ring.

No one knows when that will be, not Dunne, not his promoter and manager Brian Peters, not his trainer Harry Hawkins. "I'm disappointed, disgusted with myself," said a disconsolate Dunne. "I got caught cold, I suppose. We knew Kiko was a puncher. I didn't see the punch coming. I'm disappointed I let people down. There is no excuse for me whatsoever. Kiko won fair and square."

Everyone was searching for shreds of comfort. There were none. "We will take a bit of time now and think about it," said Peters. "We'll take a rest, sit down and think about it."

The fight really defied analysis and in Dunne's words that he was caught cold, there is some truth. Why he was caught cold is probably a more pertinent question and no doubt there will be criticism of his ability to defend against heavy and dangerous punchers like Martinez.

In essence it was all over after a series of ugly snapshots. The two sounded each other out for what must have been only a matter of seconds. Martinez then triggered off a succession of punches as he belligerently invaded Dunne's defences. The Spaniard, who was fighting professionally outside Spain for the first time and who has never lost a fight, amateur or professional (56), was fearless, destructive and relentlessly go-forward.

A right caught the Dubliner first and the left that followed had him on the seat of his pants against the ropes, even before some people had returned to their seats after the pomp and theatre of the ring entrance. While Dunne waved his hands around indicating to the referee he was still in control and able to fight on, Martinez sensed the weakness. It was in the Irishman's face. He was stunned by the ferocity of the attack and shocked that already he was chasing a minute and a half before the sanctuary of his corner could steady him. If only.

From the Spaniard's point of view it was almost too good to be true. Straining to get to the Irishman, Dunne took a standing count before Martinez again struck terror into the partisan crowd. Fists flailing, he rained blows down on the helpless Dunne. Two rights and a left and again the champion was on the canvas. "Ninety per cent of KOs are in the first two rounds," said Hawkins.

"To be caught with a shot he didn't see coming . . . maybe he was not experienced enough to wrap up Martinez, hold on to him." The second count ended Dunne's 24-fight unbeaten run.

"Life goes on," Dunne said. "Being nailed in the first round doesn't make me less of a fighter. I'll get myself back in that ring. I'll watch the tape and see the shot and make sure it doesn't happen again."

Across from Dunne at the post-match table sat Andy Lee, who again added to his list of beaten opponents. Lee's obvious class showed from the beginning of his first professional fight on Irish soil against Belfast's Ciarán Healy when the fight was stopped in the fourth round following a cruel body punch that crumpled the durable Ulsterman.

"And Lee is not just going to be the middleweight champion of the world in 2008," said his mentor, the legendary Emanuel Stewart. "But he will be one of the great middleweights of all time."