Is Frampton Ireland's best ever boxer?

[JamesPhilips]

I also always had a soft spot for Dave Boy McAuley. Gutsy. Hard hitting. And ko'd legendary Baby Jake Matlala.

[THEBUTCH]

The first fight with Fidel Bassa was astonishing
McAuley carved his name in stone during that fight.

[JamesPhilips]

The first fight with Fidel Bassa was astonishing
McAuley carved his name in stone during that fight.

Dave I think was winning on points in the first one and close the second. And Bassa was somewhat of a legend himself. Dave had a weird career. He had 2 early draws including against one guy who only one one fight out of 16. I bet he was criminally underpaid, but real fans know him. Anyone know what he's doing today? I remember seeing him on Wogan once.

[SticknMove]

Absolutely no aspersions .....but how did he make flyweight...... incredible.

[bennie]

Absolutely no aspersions .....but how did he make flyweight...... incredible.

Dave also liked a drink and a fag throughout his boxing career.

[Crease]

Hes in the mix but would have liked to have seen him try to do a full unification at super bantam

Yeah Stu, I'd have liked to have seen that myself.
There was a point for about 2 years (I think) where Carl was IBF, Quigg was WBA, Santa Cruz was WBC and Rigondeaux was WBO... That would have been an exciting free-for-all between them four all facing each other.

[Crease]

He had 2 early draws including against one guy who only one one fight out of 16.

Match-making was not as transparent as it is today. I'm sure that you have heard Nigel Benn talk about "Mexican road sweepers" and how fighters are built up. For example, saying that there is this Mexican guy, highly rated, hard puncher, he's really thought well of - then in reality it's this guy who is a full-time street cleaner who boxes part time.

These days, we are really blessed to have BoxRec. It tells us all we need to know about a fighter, who he has fought and at what level. But yeah, back in the late 80s hear-say was rife about fighters.

Anyone know what he's doing today? I remember seeing him on Wogan once.

Davey Boy is a successful hotel owner these days. He runs a 4-star hotel just outside Larne and apparently they are very courteous and my mate told me that it was the cleanest hotel that he ever seen... So good on him. I hope he makes plenty of money.

[GreenLightning]

All depends on criteria.

I have to say Katie Taylor. Amateur and Professional dominance. Wayne Mc Cullough would be second on the Amateur & Pro criteria in my view but his professional career was outstanding.

If we are dealing with Professional only then Frampton (I know his weight class got removed from the olympics) is absolutely in the mix, Collins's and Mc Guigan too.

I think Mick Conlan will eventually be in the conversation. Jay Quigley could also be in it too as he was the first Irish fighter to win the World championship.

Johnn

For every woman boxer there are at least ten times the number of male boxers. This diminishes Taylor's achievement. When you have Ebanie Bridges and Shannon Courtenay boxing for a world title it puts women's boxing into perspective.

not really because the best female boxers were all amateur, Katie beat some legit world class females, several times each, she only turned pro because she started losing to women she had already beaten easily before, Katie was last her best when she turned pro. The likes of Queen Underwood for example would beat Bridges and Courtenay in the same round if she had turned pro. Think Underwood beat Mikaela Meyer and Jonas in the ams, yet nobody here will have heard of her, she had barnstormers with Katie

[GreenLightning]

Canelo

Until he talks you won't get a man who looks more irish!

Has anyone ever explained his colouring? I'm sure I read some article about there being some Irishmen who settled in Mexico. I think they were soldiers or mercenaries.

St Patrick's Battalion was a group of mostly Irish immigrant soldiers who defected from the American Army to fight for Mexico in the Mexican-American war

[JamesPhilips]

Until he talks you won't get a man who looks more irish!

Has anyone ever explained his colouring? I'm sure I read some article about there being some Irishmen who settled in Mexico. I think they were soldiers or mercenaries.

St Patrick's Battalion was a group of mostly Irish immigrant soldiers who defected from the American Army to fight for Mexico in the Mexican-American war

Thanks interesting stuff. Who would've ever thought that the P4P would be a ginger Mexican!

[JamesPhilips]

He had 2 early draws including against one guy who only one one fight out of 16.

Match-making was not as transparent as it is today. I'm sure that you have heard Nigel Benn talk about "Mexican road sweepers" and how fighters are built up. For example, saying that there is this Mexican guy, highly rated, hard puncher, he's really thought well of - then in reality it's this guy who is a full-time street cleaner who boxes part time.

These days, we are really blessed to have BoxRec. It tells us all we need to know about a fighter, who he has fought and at what level. But yeah, back in the late 80s hear-say was rife about fighters.

Anyone know what he's doing today? I remember seeing him on Wogan once.

Davey Boy is a successful hotel owner these days. He runs a 4-star hotel just outside Larne and apparently they are very courteous and my mate told me that it was the cleanest hotel that he ever seen... So good on him. I hope he makes plenty of money.

Thanks great info.

[bennie]

The first fight with Fidel Bassa was astonishing
McAuley carved his name in stone during that fight.

Dave I think was winning on points in the first one and close the second. And Bassa was somewhat of a legend himself. Dave had a weird career. He had 2 early draws including against one guy who only one one fight out of 16. I bet he was criminally underpaid, but real fans know him. Anyone know what he's doing today? I remember seeing him on Wogan once.

Dave grew disillusioned with boxing when he missed out on selection for the 1980 Olympics. Hugh Russell got the nod and picked up a bronze medal, a feat which is almost forgotten today, and McAuley boxed sporadically over the next few years. He was rusty when turned pro in October 1983 and struggled to a six-round draw with John Mwaimu, a Tanzanian trained by Brian Hughes in Manchester. He outscored Mwaimu in a rematch but was held to another six-round draw by Bradford's Kenny Walsh in 1984, although he dominated after suffering an early knockdown. The knockdown cost him the win. McAuley was boxing at bantamweight in those days.

[Counter-puncher]

do you refer to notes mate or is that from memory? i've always assumed you've got an insane memory

[Wee Tommy]

do you refer to notes mate or is that from memory? i've always assumed you've got an insane memory

Mans an encyclopaedia of boxing. The site would be a million times poorer without Bennie.

[orbtastic]

Very true, even if he is a stranger to paragraphs. I’d rather read his and Miles’ posts than anyone else on here.

[high tower 1]

He’s good but he’s no Spencer fearon the boxing historian .....

[JamesPhilips]

The first fight with Fidel Bassa was astonishing
McAuley carved his name in stone during that fight.

Dave I think was winning on points in the first one and close the second. And Bassa was somewhat of a legend himself. Dave had a weird career. He had 2 early draws including against one guy who only one one fight out of 16. I bet he was criminally underpaid, but real fans know him. Anyone know what he's doing today? I remember seeing him on Wogan once.

Dave grew disillusioned with boxing when he missed out on selection for the 1980 Olympics. Hugh Russell got the nod and picked up a bronze medal, a feat which is almost forgotten today, and McAuley boxed sporadically over the next few years. He was rusty when turned pro in October 1983 and struggled to a six-round draw with John Mwaimu, a Tanzanian trained by Brian Hughes in Manchester. He outscored Mwaimu in a rematch but was held to another six-round draw by Bradford's Kenny Walsh in 1984, although he dominated after suffering an early knockdown. The knockdown cost him the win. McAuley was boxing at bantamweight in those days.

Thanks for this. Great to have context. I never realised Hugh Russell got a bronze medal!