BoxRec

In the 1980s the divisions from 126-135 were alive and laced with talent.

Barry was a popular and entertaining fighter. He beat Juan laporte to get his title shot and the won the title from the ageing great Eusebio Pedroza, defended against the slick and gifted Bernard Taylor but then after a laboured win over Danilo Cabrera he lost in Vegas to underdog Steve Cruz.

The fight is a bit of a classic. Barry is undone by Cruz's right hand counters. He pulls himself back into the fight in the championship rounds and looks set to cap a remarkable comeback with a narrow points victory. Cruz drops McGuigan twice in the final round and takes the win.

If McGuigan had lost the round 10-9 he'd have kept his title.

Barry was then out of the ring for 2 years and many of the top fights were never made. McGuigan was a popular fighter who could and should have secured the big fights. Here's how it could have been.

Barry gets a disputed draw against Cruz. He returns home with his title but with his ego bruised.

Here are the fights I'd have made for him.

Pat Cowdell

Tough fight in which Cowdell takes the middle rounds. Barry storms back to win a points decision which is close enough for some to call controversial.

Wilfredo Gomez

Gomez is considered a spent force. Barry moves up to 130 and stops the old great in 10. Gomez lands the right but it's not what it was.

Azumah Nelson

Barry drops back down to 126 for what is being called a mini-superfight. McGuigan has soem success with the left hook but Nelson is too much and he stops Barry in the 14th.

Rocky Lockridge

McGuigan defends his 130 title against Lockridge in a blood and guts battle. Both men take a lot of punishment. McGuigan takes a hotly disputed, but just about deserved, decision over 15.

Julio Cesar Chavez

McGuigan takes on Chavez in another unification bout. Chavez outguns him to a unanimous decision.

Brian Mitchell

McGuigan is obviously slowing down. The hard fights and his all-action style have taken their toll. Still Barry rallies in the fight and causes Mitchell a lot of problems. But in the end Mitchell outpoints him over 15 in a fight for the IBF 130 belt.

Jeff Fenech

Fenech a McGuigan go toe-to-toe. McGUigan holds his own for 5-6 rounds but the long career catches up with him and the fresher Fenech stops him in 7.

Barry retires.

McGuigan proved he was a heartless dog and a whiner. All one had to do is listen to all his pansy ass excuses as to why he lost to Steve Sruz.

A shameful champion....

ringsider wrote:McGuigan proved he was a heartless dog and a whiner. All one had to do is listen to all his pansy ass excuses as to why he lost to Steve Sruz.

A shameful champion....

You have no class. You are talking a bout a boxer, who has probably shown more guts than you ever have.

Your comments are not worthy of a public forum.

ringsider wrote:McGuigan proved he was a heartless dog and a whiner. All one had to do is listen to all his pansy ass excuses as to why he lost to Steve Sruz.

A shameful champion....

you plum what do you know MCGUIGAN did more for irish people than most could only dream of. he brought the people of ireland together who otherwise would kill each other in the street. and for one night they all had something in common they were ALL suporting the same thing (MCGUIGAN). so what if he moaned about steve cruz. i think he was intitled to dont you and what,s all this about a shamefull champion he fought for the people of ireland and was/still is a people,s champion people still talk about him and will do so for a very long time how many people will talk about you in years to come ??????????

dont' get into it with rongsider....he has an obsessive compulsive disorder that forces him to speak ill against anything remotely left handed in this or any other universe......Logic? Reason? Nowhere to be found. Best to just briefly view the abnormality of it all and pay it no mind. Though McQuigan was orthodox your name may be the catalyst in this instance....bringing about this allergic reaction.

I was a MCGUIGAN fan......but he proved to be a big let down. He got beat and whined, then quit fighting.......boo-hoo. Had he resumed his career and continued fighting he could have been something. He had all the tools. What he lack was mental toughness.......he was a dissapointment and a cry baby. :( :(

well...ok...he had a "bad moment". No one can argue with that. But why judge him on his worst moment.........or did he switch to the southpaw stance during a fight at some point?

Wrong answer.....having a "Bad moment" doesn't involve quitting. It is having a bad night, then continuing your career. Not just stopping when you loss your one title. He proved to be a whiny cry baby quitter. What a shame.....

well your not alone in that assessment I suppose.....How about Duran does "No Mas" define his career in your opinion?

I can't see where this "McGuigan quitting" business came from. The guy was past his best at the end of his career

And I hate reading posters talking about fighters "quitting". It makes them sound cowardly and cowardly is something that no fighter should ever be accused of. The sport is a highly stressful one and at some point the brain switches off due to an inate self preservation mechanism. It's not we lounge room experts that are taking those punches is it?

Was Greald McLellan labelled a "quitter" against Benn? :x