BoxRec

Did Shea Neary ever announce a retirement or did he just fade away ? and how bad was the decision against him against Magee? Been trying to get a tape of the fight for ages.

How good do you fellas think Shea was? I think he could have made it competetive with anyone at light welter in the world and was unlucky to run into a dangerous Micky Ward.

Shea did (sometime last year I think) say he was coming back and I think tried to drum up a fight with Hatton, seems (like with Jon Jo Irwin) its gone all quiet again.

It was a very close fight with Magee, never the robbery some people were claiming. All in all a very disappointing fight considering the build up.

Was gutted when shea nearys promoters offer to Hatton came to nothing

Hatton would have beaten him quite easily if they'd fought at that time. Neary never could take it to the body due to being so tight at the weight.

Thats true, Micky Ward did him with Body shots - Mind you I would say Micky is a better body puncher than Hatton.

That Ward left hook to the body made me wheeze whenever i saw it land

Yeh very good point 007. His physique really was tight

Yeah he was absolutely huge at the weight. I remember thinking he should've got the decision against Magee. His local showdown with Holligan was a classic.

Remember he almost had Ward over in their war, before those body shots got him. Looking back, it wasn't the best fight to take for his American tv debut. Great fight though...

my mate Karim Bouali.... a good pro himself... who sparred all the top boys said Neary was by far rthe toughest strongest guy he had ever sparred under middleweight. (including Hatton)

I often wonder if he would have been better not killing himself so much and fighting at welter

Oh yeah forgot about Neary v Holligan - what a fight that was. One of the best I have ever seen.