Photo by Cathal Noonan
‘Tis the season…
For green beer and Guinness, whiskey and gin, corned beef and cabbage, pubs filled with folks looking for a good time and good cheer, with a drink in their hands and Celtic music on the jukebox.
Its St. Patrick’s Day of course, the day when Irish, Irish-American, or whoever’s feeling green, can give cheers to the patron saint Padraig, himself.
St. Paddy’s also has a rich history in the sport of boxing, from the legacies of Irish and Irish-American fighters of the past, to the tradition of boxing events being held on St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
Perhaps there is no March 17 fight more memorable than Ring Magazine’s 1990’s Fight of the Decade, when Julio Cesar Chavez defeated Meldrick Taylor in a controversial last second stoppage by Richard Steele, handing Taylor, who was up on two out of three of the judge’s scorecards, a heartbreaking loss.
Missing the list were Middleweights Matthew Macklin and Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan, Lightweights Stephen Ormond and Jamie Kavanagh, and Featherweights Marco McCullough and Patrick Hyland.
Along with Irish-American fighters, Light Heavyweight Seanie Monaghan, and Welterweight Danny O’Connor.
Of the fighters who did make the list, you’ll read about a Heavyweight who’s Irish-at-heart, and one win away from a world title shot, a Middleweight champion with a devastating right hook, and a Super Bantamweight champion with the total package, who loves to box and brawl.
Mike Perez
Heavyweight
Photo by Ed Mulholland/K2 Promotions via Getty Images
If you don’t know Mike “The Rebel” Perez (21-1-1, 13 KOs), then you’re probably a bit confused right now.
No, Perez was not born in Ireland, he was born in Cuba, where he lived until 2007 and represented throughout his amateur career.
It was then when he defected to Cork, Ireland, where he still resides with his Irish wife and three children, who all were born in Ireland.
He turned pro in 2008, and was taken under the wing of fellow Cuban, Nicholas Cruz, who has been living in Ireland since 1988.
Perez fights a typical Cuban style. even as a bulky heavyweight, he’s very sound technically and prefers to outbox his opponents to a decision, instead of chase the knockout.
He made his name in America on November 2, 2013, when he brutally battered Magomed Abdusalamov on his way to a unanimous-decision victory, but Perez was changed forever after that night.
Abdusalamov was taken to the hospital after the fight where doctors found a large blood clot on his brain, forcing them to put him into a medically induced coma.
He was in the coma for over a month before he was able to open his eyes and become aware of his surroundings, but was left in a condition that will have him fighting neurological deficits for the remainder of his life.
Perez had a great deal of trouble recovering mentally and it showed in his next fight when he fought to an uninspired draw against underdog, Carlos Takam.
His trainer at the time, Abel Sanchez talked to ESPN.com about Perez’s mindset before the fight:
[otw_shortcode_quote border=”bordered” border_style=”bordered”]“He just seemed to be dead in the dressing room, and at the weigh-in, he seemed so far out… He wasn’t focused on the task at hand, which was Carlos Takam.”[/otw_shortcode_quote]
In his following fight, Perez lost a close split decision to Bryant Jenning. A win that night would have earned Perez a shot at Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.
Perez has received great praise and support from the Irish fight fans, and has fallen into what the Irish call a “Granny Rule.”
Meaning even though he has no Irish blood, he represents the country in and out of the ring with great pride, and in return, is embraced by the Irish fan base.
Andy Lee
Middleweight
Photo by Rich Schultz
“Irish” Andy Lee (34-2-0, 24 KOs) is one of those fighters you can’t help but to like and support.
He was born in Limerick, Ireland, and fights an extremely fan-friendly style, one that often sees him taking two or three punches in order to land one harder shot.
It’s more of a traditional Irish style, one which obtains straight-forward slugging, instead of cute and technical boxing.
Lee had a career-catapulting 2014 campaign, first by knocking out John Jackson in June on the undercard of Miguel Cotto vs. Sergio Martinez.
Then in December, when he took on Matt Korobov for the WBO Middleweight title, Vegas had Lee a +500 underdog going into the fight, but he connected a huge right hook on Korobov in the sixth round and eventually was able to stop him.
Steward believed in Lee more than anybody, and was not shy to open up about his beliefs that Lee would one day win a world title.
Before his title fight with Korobov, Lee told TheSweetScience.com,
“I will dedicate winning this fight to the memory of Emanuel, I will make true the praise he placed upon me.”
Lee will make the first defense of his title on April 11 against undefeated Peter Quillin, who in late 2014 vacated the same WBO title that Lee now holds, and turned down a career high $1.4 million dollar payday to avoid a fight with Korobov.
Even though Quillin is an American and the fight is taking place in Brooklyn, New York, the majority of fans will likely be rooting against him.
The ex-title holder has left a sour taste in the mouths of many boxing fans in recent years by being inactive and avoiding tough fights.
While a lot of fighters often choose to make an easier first defense after winning a world title, it’s not surprising Lee decided to jump right into a high-profile, and very difficult fight.
He’ll have to be sharp, and he’ll have to take chances in order to beat Quillin, who is a -300 favorite going into the fight, but if Lee can pull it off, he’ll once again return to Ireland a national hero.
Carl Frampton
Super Bantamweight
Photo by Action Images
Even though Carl “The Jackal” Frampton (20-0-0, 14 KOs) was born in a Unionist area of Belfast, Northern Ireland, technically making him a citizen of Great Britain, he considers himself Irish through-and-through.
In an interview with BBC Sports, Frampton was open in saying just that.
[otw_shortcode_quote border=”bordered” border_style=”bordered”]“I get asked all the time, ‘would you have liked to box for Great Britain?’ And the answer is ‘no’. I was looked after by Irish boxing from pretty much eleven years old and was very proud to box for Ireland.”[/otw_shortcode_quote]
Frampton was referring to himself representing Ireland at the 2007 European Union Amateur Boxing Championships where he won the silver medal.
He turned pro in 2009, and has been a wrecking ball in the 122-pound division ever since.
Frampton has shown that not only can he box with great technical skill, while frustrating opponents with his defensive movement, he’s not afraid to
load-up and bang with anybody.
He’s a destroyer to the body, which allows him to damage his foe to the head, making him a legitimate knockout puncher (five of his last six wins have come by knockout).
Frampton fought the fight of his life, dominating Martinez on the way to a clear unanimous-decision victory in front of 16,000 fans at the Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
He defended his title for the first time on February 28, 2015, once again in front of a packed house, proving himself as a huge draw in the UK.
Frampton took on American, Chris Avalos, who came into the fight with the reputation of a heavy puncher, but it was Frampton who showcased his own power, and stopped Avalos in just the fifth round.
Pound for pound, Carl Frampton is the best Irish fighter in the world today, and is drawing huge crowds with his entertaining fight style.
Moving forward he’ll be looking to set up big fights with guys like Scott Quigg, Nonito Donaire and most interestingly, with Guillermo Rigondeaux.
Photo By Ken Ishii
Rigondeaux is not only the best fighter in the Super Bantamweight division, but is widely considered as one of the most talented and technically sound boxers in the sport today.
If there’s anyone at 122 pounds who could stand a chance to give Rigondeaux a tough fight, it’s Carl Frampton.
Do you think agree with RBR Boxing’s list of the top-three Irish fighters in boxing today? Please feel free to discuss in our comments section below.
