Overview
- Walsh won the 10-round bout by split decision to claim the WBC International featherweight title, with two cards 96-94 for him and one 97-93 for Conlan.
- Conlan, 34, honored his pledge to retire after his next defeat, saying he thought he edged it but accepted the performance was not at a world-title level.
- The verdict drew dispute from observers, with DAZN analyst Carl Frampton among those who felt Conlan had done enough, as judges Francisco Alloza Rosa and Tomasz Sydor scored it for Walsh and Victor Loughlin for Conlan.
- The result ends Conlan’s final push toward a world-title chance that had been discussed for later this year, as he shifts focus to preserving his health and spending time with his family.
- Walsh, now 20-0, called the win a dream come true and dedicated it to his late father, while Conlan signaled closure by posting about a morning golf outing less than 12 hours after retiring.