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.
