Barry McGuigan

IBHoF Bio

Name: Barry McGuigan
Alias: The Clones Cyclone
Birth Name: Finbar Patrick McGuigan
Hometown: Clones, Ireland
Birthplace: Clones, Ireland
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 168cm
Reach: 178cm
Promoter: Record
Pro Boxer: Record
Amateur Boxer: Record

• Manager: Barney Eastwood
• Trainer: Eddie Shaw
• Barry McGuigan Gallery

Amateur Career

• Bantamweight Gold Medalist representing Ireland at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Results:
  • George Lowe (Scotland) DQ 2
  • Michael Anthony (Guyana) W 3
  • Bill Rannelli (Canada) RSC 3
  • Tumat Sogolik (Papua New Guinea) W 3 [1]
• Represented Ireland as a featherweight at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, Russia. Results:
  • 1st round bye
  • Issack Mabushi (Tanzania) RSC 3
  • Winfred Kabunda (Zambia) L 3 (1-4) [2]

Professional Career

Mcguigan vs. Eusebio Pedroza

• After winning his first two professional fights by knockout, McGuigan lost a close eight-round decision to Peter Eubanks in August 1981. Four months later, McGuigan avenged the defeat by stopping Eubanks in eight rounds.
• McGuigan knocked out Young Ali in six rounds in June 1982. Ali lapsed into a coma after the fight and died six months later.
• McGuigan won the vacant British Boxing Board of Control Featherweight Championship with a second-round TKO of Vernon Penprase in April 1983. Seven months later, McGuigan knocked out Valerio Nati in six rounds to win the vacant European Boxing Union Featherweight Championship.
• In June 1985, McGuigan defeated Eusebio Pedroza by a lopsided fifteen-round unanimous decision to win the World Boxing Association Featherweight Championship in London, England. Pedroza had been champion for seven years and had successfully defended the title nineteen times. [3]
• In June 1986, McGuigan lost the title in his third defense to Steve Cruz, a 5-1 underdog, by a close fifteen-round unanimous decision in Las Vegas, Nevada. After fourteen rounds, McGuigan was ahead by two points on two of the three official scorecards, but Cruz pulled ahead by putting the champion down twice in the fifteenth and final round. The fight was named Fight of the Year by The Ring. [4]
• McGuigan was out of the ring for almost two years following the loss to Cruz. After three consecutive wins, he lost to Jim McDonnell by a fourth-round TKO in May 1989. The fight was stopped due to a cut over his right eye. McGuigan announced his retirement after the defeat. "I said when I started my comeback that if I lost I would retire," he said. "I don't intend to reverse that." The 28-year-old McGuigan walked away with a record of 32-3 with 28 knockouts. [5]
• McGuigan was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 2000 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2005.

Notes

• McGuigan was a hero in Ireland, and his immense popularity transcended boxing. Long-standing violence between Catholics and Protestants subsided when he stepped in the ring. McGuigan, a Catholic who married a Protestant, campaigned for peace. The popular saying of the day was "Leave the fighting to McGuigan."
• McGuigan's father, Pat McGuigan, was a professional singer. He would sing "Danny Boy" in the ring before his son's fights.
• In a 1988 video about his boxing career, McGuigan said his manager, Barney Eastwood, forced him to fight Steve Cruz despite ankle and ear injuries. Eastwood sued McGuigan and Channel 5 Video, the makers of the video, for libel and was awarded $775,000 in 1992. McGuigan and Channel 5 Video were also ordered to pay court costs, estimated at nearly $1.4 million. [6]
• Shane McGuigan, Barry's son, boxed briefly as an amateur and won several titles, including the Irish Under 21 Championships at light middleweight. [7]

Preceded by: Eusebio Pedroza

WBA Featherweight Champion 1985 Jun 8 – 1986 Jun 23

Succeeded by: Steve Cruz