BoxRec

Who do you think was the best Irish boxer ever including Irish American boxers??

Personally my vote goes to Steve Collins for the way he bounced back from those 2 defeats in 1992 to go undefeated for the rest of his career. He was a true warrior in the ring!

It's an opinionated subject of course and will stir debate.

Rinty Monaghan?

wayne mccullough for me. Rock solid chin,tremendous courage,phenomenel workrate and a willingness to fight anyone

steve689 wrote:It's an opinionated subject of course and will stir debate.

Rinty Monaghan?

x2.He's always my vote when this gets asked.

Northern Ireland or the Republic?

Hagler2002 wrote:Northern Ireland or the Republic?

Took the words out of my Mouth as Rinty Monaghan was from N-Ireland...


I dont know any thing about Rinty Monaghan but he lost to a No bouter when he had 40 plus Fights, and the No bouter went on to be KO'd in his next fight, losing 7 winning 6 and a draw.
Just by going by this i acnt see how he was the Best??


Steve collins for me a ture Warrior

mrrocco wrote:Kevin McBride

For me it has to be wayne mccullough

Collins, 2 weight World Champion even tough it was the WBO.

Jimmy McLarnin or Jack Dempsey.

sg1985 wrote:jack dempsey? irish?

The original Jack Dempsey was.

sg1985 wrote:

TerribleTerry wrote:

sg1985 wrote:jack dempsey? irish?

The original Jack Dempsey was.

so not the heavyweight?

No the world middleweight champion 'The Nonpariel'. The heavyweight champ named himself after the Irish boxer, if I remember rightly.

NO DOUBT ABOUT THIS ONE

JIMMY MC CLARNIN FROM RAVERNETT HILLSBOROUGH

Londonirish wrote:

Hagler2002 wrote:Northern Ireland or the Republic?

Took the words out of my Mouth as Rinty Monaghan was from N-Ireland...


I dont know any thing about Rinty Monaghan but he lost to a No bouter when he had 40 plus Fights, and the No bouter went on to be KO'd in his next fight, losing 7 winning 6 and a draw.
Just by going by this i acnt see how he was the Best??


Steve collins for me a ture Warrior

I'd assume we're talking on an All-Ireland basis.

Rinty was born before Partition anyway, before there was 'Northern Ireland ' so it doesn't really matter that he was from Belfast.

Jimmy(babyface)McLarnin held world titles when they meant just that,and in those days there were no super or light in between weights, there was 8 weights only, he also beat 7 world champions into the bargain,like Rinty Monaghan he was from Nr Ireland also

BARNEYKX wrote:Jimmy(babyface)McLarnin held world titles when they meant just that,and in those days there were no super or light in between weights, there was 8 weights only, he also beat 7 world champions into the bargain,like Rinty Monaghan he was from Nr Ireland also

That's not quite as true as boxing 'purists' would like to make out. The Light-Welterweight division was quite strong back during McLarnin's time.
Infact two of McLarnin's great rivals Barney Ross and Tony Canzoneri held the title !

However if we're talking records(as I'm sure no one here has seen McLarnin) then the Belfast Spider is as good a choice as any for the best Irish fighter ever. A fantastic fighter in his time(if reports are to be believed).

not original but barry mcguigan could fight.really fight

sg1985 wrote:

TerribleTerry wrote:

sg1985 wrote:jack dempsey? irish?

The original Jack Dempsey was.

so not the heavyweight?

The Nonpareil Jack Dempsey's real name was John Edward Kelly and he was 100 % Irish.

Jack Dempsey the heavyweight was of Irish Ancestry (Irish dad I think), he was proud of his Irish roots and also his Native American roots.

I'd go for James Joseph "Gene" Tunney. Both his parents were from Co.Mayo in the Republic so I guess that makes him Irish. Check out his record...........Brilliant.

Benny Lynch is also worth a shout.......yea, yea, He was born in Glasgow but both his parents were from Ireland and like I said Gene Tunney is the top boy for me. So where do we draw the line?

Muhammad Ali is of Irish extraction. This is one of those "Who knows?" questions.

Its always impossible to get this right, different boxers from different era's.
Pre 1st world war you had boxers such as George Gardner who won the world Middle and Light Heavy title.

BigEars wrote: However if we're talking records(as I'm sure no one here has seen McLarnin) then the Belfast Spider is as good a choice as any for the best Irish fighter ever. A fantastic fighter in his time(if reports are to be believed).

Dont just read reports on him Big Ears - here is the Jimmy fighting fellow all time great Barney Ross for the 3rd and final time in 1935:

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zytOp1o3 ... ytOp1o3xMg

Part2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKcKVktjmVM

Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbMXEsuo23M

Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbMXEsuo ... re=related

Enjoy.

Billy Conn certainly had a classic "Irish" temper.

From The Big Fight by Dave Hannigan

McGuigan all day...

TerribleTerry wrote:

BigEars wrote: However if we're talking records(as I'm sure no one here has seen McLarnin) then the Belfast Spider is as good a choice as any for the best Irish fighter ever. A fantastic fighter in his time(if reports are to be believed).

Dont just read reports on him Big Ears - here is the Jimmy fighting fellow all time great Barney Ross for the 3rd and final time in 1935:

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zytOp1o3 ... ytOp1o3xMg

Part2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKcKVktjmVM

Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbMXEsuo23M

Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbMXEsuo ... re=related

Enjoy.

Thanks Terry, much appreciated

BOB FITZSIMMONS

Not only the Greatest British Born Boxer of all time imo but also the Greatest Boxer with an Irish Background too.

Only man ever to be UNDISPUTED WORLD CHAMPION at Middle, Light Heavy and Heavyweight.