The Belfast man, fighting in Dublin for the first time as a professional, exhibited some of the silky switch-hitting skills early on which were a feature of his former amateur bouts in the city 10 years previous.Still, Bateson appeared to have settled in the hostile surroundings, not getting drawn in and using his feet to stay mostly out of danger and although he took a flush right, the Leeds man landed with one of his own.It was a cagey second with Conlan seeking to draw a mistake from Bateson, crouching and shooting downstairs, but the visitor was disciplined and was not taking the early bait, his footwork making him difficult to pin down.However, Conlan made something of a breakthrough in the third as Bateson was forced to take a count when his gloves grazed the canvas. It seemed to stem more from a tangle of legs, but a short right hand also landed in the process.There was no disputing the knockdown in the fourth as Conlan’s crisp jab unlocked the door, opening a gap he exploited with a huge right hook that dropped Bateson heavily. Although the visitor managed to get to his feet, the fight was waved off.”It’s very special,” Conlan said of his emphatic win.”To come back to Dublin finally, after almost 10 years for my first pro fight here, I’m very proud. It’s a very special night.”
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Michael Conlan: Belfast featherweight stops Jack Bateson in the fourth round in Dublin
