LUKE Watkins is the new Irish cruiserweight champion after a stunning stoppage victory over Ian Tims in Belfast tonight.

The unbeaten 27-year-old sent his opponent crashing to the canvas in the second minute of the fourth round with a solid right straight through the Dubliner’s guard.

The 37-year-old head bounced off the canvas and the referee quickly disposed of the count as the former Bradon Forest and New College student raised his arms in victory with a muted celebration.

However, those celebrations were ramped up once Tims was back to his feet.

Watkins, whose mother Caroline hails from Wexford, took the opening round of the fight as he looked to establish his jab over his older opponent.

In the second session, the former Irish champion tried to turn the fight into a brawl and he had plenty of success working on the inside against Watkins.

Tims continued in the third round where he left off, but as it wore on, Watkins started to get his jab going once again.

Coming out for the fourth round, the Paddy Fitzpatrick-trained fighter looked a lot more confident as he varied his work.

The end came when Watkins caught Tims with a short left to the head before powering the right-hand straight through the high guard to send the Irishman crashing to the canvas.

After the fight, speaking to Sky Sports, Watkins, who now has seven stoppages in his unblemished 11 fight record, said: “I’ve just showcased a little bit of what I can do. I said to people before this I have got power and I have proved what I have said.

“I have hit other people in the same way and they all fall the same way. It was one of my favourite combinations “I want to say a big respect to Ian Tims, it was a good fight, he’s a tough guy, I didn’t know what he was going to go, but I knew that if I kept doing what I was doing it would eventually come.

“Hopefully people here will now see what I am about and will want to see me on TV.”

Watkins’ trainer Fitzpatrick added: “He’s got an amazing skill set, he’s got lovely balance. He has all the tools.

“Having a belt will bring more out of him. He has grown a lot this last year.

“It was a good performance, I didn’t like the second round at all and it was only at the end of the third round that he really loosened up and get his rhythm.”