BoxRec

The Irish were the masters & totally dominated professional boxing way back.

But, the Irish has also done A LOT for this nation in the areas of politics, law enforcement & firefighters.


Irish-Americans have also done a lot for this nation in agriculture, banking, heavy industry, light industry, engineering, architecture, ship building, airplane building, railroad building, road building, television media & newspaper print venues.


Irish-Americans have really made their mark in sports. Especially in boxing.


The Irish boxers in this nation, in the Republic of Ireland & in the 6 counties of Northern Ireland were dominant.


There were many, many top Irish boxers.


These would probably be the best among the top Irish boxers. They were in what was then considered the heavyweight division. Since the cruiserweight division didn't exist back then. In no particular order. ---

John L. Sullivan, James J. Corbett, Tom Sharkey, James J. Jeffries, Tommy Gibbons & Tommy Loughran.


Gene Tunney was probably the greatest among the Irish heavyweights & light heavyweights.


Probably the best Irish boxers in the "pound for pound" category would be these. In no particular order. ---

Paddy Duffy, Tommy Ryan, Terry McGovern, Peter Maher, Jack McAuliffe, Jimmy McLarnin, Joey Archer, Billy Conn, Mike Gibbons & Mickey Walker.


I'd say that Mike Gibbons was probably the greatest Irish boxer in the pound for pound category.

Especially considering Mikes defensive skill in the ring.


Jimmy McLarnin to be a close second to Mike. But, since Gibbons was professionally battle ring tested at heavier weight divisions. Against higher level opponents.


Mike Gibbons should probably rank higher than McLarnin. By default.




The Irish were the masters & totally dominated boxing in America, in the Republic of Ireland & the 6 counties of Northern Ireland way back.

Can Irish Americans really be claimed as Irish? In that case throw in Les Darcy and Young Griffo to

Jimmy Slattery

Tunney certainly belongs in the p4p category. I'd have him over everyone you mentioned with the possible exception of McClarnin.

Jack Dempsey was Irish-American as well wasn't he?

What about McFarland?

George Gardner, the first Irish - American to win the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World

....jack dempsey? his early fighting name was jackie o'rain in the face...

.....jack dempsey's early fighting name was jackie o'rain in the face....

I wish we could claim Jim Jefferies but I don't think he was an Irishman.

Id have Walker,Tunney,Conn,and McClarnin at the top.Billy Graham,Tommy Loughran and The Gibbons bros.right there with them.Probably a notch below but great fighters.Throw Jerry Quarry in there too along with Freddie Steele.
Guys like Ken Overlin Jimmy Slattery,Rinty Monaghan,Mike Mctigue,Joe Lynch,Jim Braddock,Freddie Cochrane, Joey Archer, Mike O'Dowd,on another tier.

The "old timers" there were plenty of greats but Ive never been quite sure how they would measure with more modern day guys.Thats to be forever debated but there was of course:

John L Sullivan,Jim Corbett,Tom Sharkey,Jack McCauliffe,Jimmy Barry, Terry McGovern,Packey Mcfarlane,Jack "The Non Pareillel Dempsey,Mike Donovan, Lots more..





Entertaining contenders "Irish" Bob Murphy, Bobby Cassidy,Christy Elliott,Mike Quarry,Gerry Cooney
There are many more...

Dempsey was part Irish I guess so was Harry Greb.

thunderfromdownunder wrote:Can Irish Americans really be claimed as Irish? In that case throw in Les Darcy and Young Griffo to

_________________________________________________________


Oh, definitely. Irish-Americans are Irish. Clearly, Irish-Americans have developed separately & distinctly from Irish who live in the Republic of Ireland & in the 6 counties in Northern Ireland. Irish-Americans, as have the other respective American groups have assimilated & amalgamated into American society & culture.


But, still, Irish-Americans are Irish.


I did forget to mention Les Darcy & Young Griffo.



thunderfromdownunder, thanks for mentioning Les & Young.


I say this because Darcy & Griffo also deserve to be metioned among the great Irish boxers from the past.

wsbuf wrote:Jimmy Slattery

_________________________________________________________



Slattery also.


Hey wsbuf, it seems that Jimmy Slattery has been overlooked in regards to professional boxing greats.


By this statement, I mean this in reference to how other respective boxers are always talked about by sports writers, etc.. Such as how Sugar Ray Robinson & Muhammad Ali are always being talked about.



Why do you think that Jimmy Slattery & his professional boxing career seems to be largely overlooked & passed over by sports writers?


Especially as it pertains to the pro boxing world?

Tommy Ryan and Jim Jeffries were not Irish. Jeffries was of Dutch extraction on his mother's side and English on his father's. Tommy Ryan was the ring name of Joseph Youngs, who was of English and French descent.

Expug wrote:I wish we could claim Jim Jefferies but I don't think he was an Irishman.

Id have Walker,Tunney,Conn,and McClarnin at the top.Billy Graham,Tommy Loughran and The Gibbons bros.right there with them.Probably a notch below but great fighters.Throw Jerry Quarry in there too along with Freddie Steele.
Guys like Ken Overlin Jimmy Slattery,Rinty Monaghan,Mike Mctigue,Joe Lynch,Jim Braddock,Freddie Cochrane, Joey Archer, Mike O'Dowd,on another tier.

The "old timers" there were plenty of greats but Ive never been quite sure how they would measure with more modern day guys.Thats to be forever debated but there was of course:

John L Sullivan,Jim Corbett,Tom Sharkey,Jack McCauliffe,Jimmy Barry, Terry McGovern,Packey Mcfarlane,Jack "The Non Pareillel Dempsey,Mike Donovan, Lots more..





Entertaining contenders "Irish" Bob Murphy, Bobby Cassidy,Christy Elliott,Mike Quarry,Gerry Cooney
There are many more...

Dempsey was part Irish I guess so was Harry Greb.

________________________________________________________



Yes, James J. Jeffries was Irish.


I totally see eye to eye with regarding all of the names which you listed above.


Hey Expug, another top Irish-American boxer which I just thought of. ---- Gunboat Smith.


Smiths weight throughout his professional career was primarily at what would today be considered at the Light-heavyweight division.


Clearly, when Gunboat fought, a Cruiserweight division didn't exist back then.


So, when Smith was fighting professionally, he was always fighting
against opponents who were naturally much heavier than he was.


Gunboat didn't scale the heights in the pro boxing ring such as what Gene Tunney &/or what Jack Dempsey scaled.


But, Gunboat Smith was another very good Irish boxer.


Jack Dempsey & Gunboat Smith fought twice. Jack did beat Gunboat both times.


But, Jack said that the hardest punches he was ever hit with came from Gunboat Smith.

raylawpc wrote:Tommy Ryan and Jim Jeffries were not Irish. Jeffries was of Dutch extraction on his mother's side and English on his father's. Tommy Ryan was the ring name of Joseph Youngs, who was of English and French descent.

_________________________________________________________



ray, are you sure about Tommy Ryan & James J. Jeffries?


Mind if I ask, do you have any links regarding this?


If so, could you please post them.

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:Tunney certainly belongs in the p4p category. I'd have him over everyone you mentioned with the possible exception of McClarnin.

_________________________________________________________



You are correct about Gene Tunney.


Clearly, Gene Tunney & Jack Dempsey fought twice. With Gene winning both times.


But, even up to the present day, fans of Jack say that Dempsey was better than Gene.


I have noticed that the fans of Jack have primarily mentioned the 2nd fights incident of the "Long Count".

The fans of Jack say that Dempsey was cheated out of a victory due to the long count.


Saad, who would you rate higher? Gene Tunney? Or, Jack Dempsey?


I'd go with Gene.


This is why. --- In both their fights, Gene totally dominated over Dempsey.


Now, Jack did have more punching power than Tunney.


But, Gene utilized a better boxing style & technique. Genes "master-boxer style" proved superior to Jacks "slugger-style".


Tunneys implementation of how he executed the master-boxing style, he was able to totally dominate Jack.


In addition, Gene was one of the first professional boxers to effectively execute professional boxing ring techniques for countering & defeating boxers who employed the southpaw boxing stance & style.



So, I'd rank Gene Tunney higher than Jack Dempsey.

coreygardner wrote:George Gardner, the first Irish - American to win the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World

________________________________________________________


True.


corey, is George your great grandfather?


Or, other relative?

Expug wrote:



Entertaining contenders "Irish" Bob Murphy, Bobby Cassidy,Christy Elliott,Mike Quarry,Gerry Cooney
There are many more...

Sean O'Grady was fun to watch in his loss to Jim Watt and win over Hilmer Kenty.

JMac wrote:

Expug wrote:



Entertaining contenders "Irish" Bob Murphy, Bobby Cassidy,Christy Elliott,Mike Quarry,Gerry Cooney
There are many more...

Sean O'Grady was fun to watch in his loss to Jim Watt and win over Hilmer Kenty.

McGuigan>O'Grady, but neither was a great.

JMac wrote:

Expug wrote:



Entertaining contenders "Irish" Bob Murphy, Bobby Cassidy,Christy Elliott,Mike Quarry,Gerry Cooney
There are many more...

Sean O'Grady was fun to watch in his loss to Jim Watt and win over Hilmer Kenty.

Yep,I can't believe I missed loisting him. In that fight with Kenty I was impressed with his gameplan. Lots of head movement. It was a terrific performance.

Expug wrote:

JMac wrote:

Expug wrote:



Entertaining contenders "Irish" Bob Murphy, Bobby Cassidy,Christy Elliott,Mike Quarry,Gerry Cooney
There are many more...

Sean O'Grady was fun to watch in his loss to Jim Watt and win over Hilmer Kenty.

Yep,I can't believe I missed loisting him. In that fight with Kenty I was impressed with his gameplan. Lots of head movement. It was a terrific performance.

Do you remember Chicago favourite Irish John Collins who lost to Tony Sibson?

You have Del Flanagan, Joey Archer, Terry McGovern, Brian Kelly and Tom and Peter McNeeley.

I sure do remember Collins. I also knew Lenny Lapaglia and used to spar with him often. He fought John on national tv in Chicago in a great main event with Sean Ogrady and John Verderosa on the undercard. I fought in The Golden Gloves on the same nights with Collins in the late seventies a few times and witnessed close up some unreal kos delivered by "Jackie" as everyone called him. I boxed with Lapaglia a bunch of times before he fought John but I can't say I helped get him ready. He went to training camp if I recall coprrectly six weeks or so before they fought.plus I was just a four round fighter. It was 1983.

If the Brian Kelly you refer to is the light heavyweight contender of the early 1970s, he wasn't Irish either. His real name was Kelly Dee Burden. He took Brian Kelly as his ring name because he thought it meant, roughly translated, "tough fighter."

NYDominican wrote:

raylawpc wrote:Tommy Ryan and Jim Jeffries were not Irish. Jeffries was of Dutch extraction on his mother's side and English on his father's. Tommy Ryan was the ring name of Joseph Youngs, who was of English and French descent.

_________________________________________________________



ray, are you sure about Tommy Ryan & James J. Jeffries?


Mind if I ask, do you have any links regarding this?


If so, could you please post them.

Links? No but I have Jeffries and Ryan's autobiographies and numerous newspaper articles from the turn-of-the-century that confirm it.

NYDominican wrote:

thunderfromdownunder wrote:Can Irish Americans really be claimed as Irish? In that case throw in Les Darcy and Young Griffo to

_________________________________________________________


Oh, definitely. Irish-Americans are Irish. Clearly, Irish-Americans have developed separately & distinctly from Irish who live in the Republic of Ireland & in the 6 counties in Northern Ireland. Irish-Americans, as have the other respective American groups have assimilated & amalgamated into American society & culture.


But, still, Irish-Americans are Irish.


I did forget to mention Les Darcy & Young Griffo.



thunderfromdownunder, thanks for mentioning Les & Young.


I say this because Darcy & Griffo also deserve to be metioned among the great Irish boxers from the past.

You could say Irish Americans are more Irish than American as their native to Ireland and not America.