Yeah Mora's been a bit inactive as of late but he will be a good challange for Big Mikey Joe. We should get a good idea of where hes at.
looking through youtube this morning at old mcguigan fights and it reminded me of a conversation i was having with healy on the way up to the dunne fight...i was telling him what it was like leading up to the pedroza fight in 85. the whole country had gone mc guigan mad...every pub for a couple of weeks was wall to wall chat about the fight, everyone was excited...i remember our priest praying for barry at mass the week before...and the night before the fight there was old women going to the church to say a decade of the rosary for him....there were flags flying everywhere, down old lanes, outside every gaa field and houses everywhere, and the gay byrne show on the radio was chatting about little else only the fight for the week leading up to it...everyone was talking about where they would be to watch it... i watched it in gildeas pub in dowra in co leitrim..the place was packed, thick smoke everywhere...i was 14/15 and with my uncles, everyone was well drunk by the time the fight was on...the place was wedged... when barry won the country went mad for another while...the priest spoke of his delight and the countrys delight at mass... at school there was fights everywhere at lunch break...everyone doing a 'barry'.. mc guigan himself reutrned to an open top bus reception. also, far as i know...mc guigan got 150,000 sterling for that fight...i could be wrong though... how times have changed...could we ever see the like of that surrounding a fight in this country again ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKxoIn6IH7I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV1l91hGsuc
I Don't know if we'll see this again Doug, 22 million people watched that fight live on the BBC, Myself included. I must have been about 11/12 and it was some achievement beating the legendary Pedroza, but times have changed, Boxing is not as strong in the public's eye mostly because of the rise of Satelite TV, RTE is doing a fine job over here though of showcasing Irish talent with the like's of Dunne,Lee,Duddy,McCloskey,Haughian,Murray and a few more i've forgot to mention. Exiting times ahead for Dunne and Duddy but weather they catch the imagination of the public like Mcguigan did i really don't know.
It's hard to describe the impact McGuigan brought to Irish society to the younger members of this forum, particularly in Belfast. In a time when killings were commonplace, and sectarian hatred was rampant, McGuigan success brought a divided community together. Shoulder to shoulder, catholics and protestants, nationalist and unionist cheered Barry on in a packed Kings Hall. I was privilaged to be one of those fans, and every moment has became a precious memory. Muhammad ali brought me to the sport as a child in the 70s, and witnessing McGuigan's success in the 80s sustained my interest in boxing to this day. I hope this crop of Irish boxers lead by Bernard Dunne can instill the same enthusiasm in the fans that Barry did, if so the sport in Ireland will not suffer from apathy, and that will be a fact.
Here here, a fight like last week's can be something for kids to look and and be inspired just like in the 80s. Although McGuigan's persona and importance seems to have transcended sport (I don't recall it, as only born the year he won the title). The unique circumstances of McGuigan's rise, with him being a cross-community favourite, added to by his ability, mean it seems he was just the icon Ireland was crying out for. Hopefully, we have moved on from the concept of a 'cross-community' hero (not that it's a bad thing at all).
I dont think we'll see the likes of McGuigan again but ive been speaking to dean byrne and henry coyle since the fight both of them said dunne showed us we can do it. Hes created a real belief alot of these lads want to win a world title but what Dunne has done is showed the country we can cut it with the best. Then you look at the boys at the Olympics. the future looks very bright for Irish boxing Just remember readying ardys first post in the forum i wonder he if thouht we would have a world champ in such a short time.... Bernard has got the ball rolling the country will have no choice but to take notice of our young boxers
We just don't a world champion boxer, we have a world class promoter in Brian Peters also, which is vitally important. We would have had no McGuigan without Barney Eastwood. The importance of a good promoter cannot be stressed enough, and it's what the sport has been lacking in this country since Eastwoods retirement.
mcguigan son shane has weighted in for the ulster championships...along with willie mcloughlin...how do rate shanes chance of regaining his title?
Yeah ardy 100%, I hate that ****er Maloney with his bad mouthing of Peters. Trying to make Peters out to be this Johnny come lately figure. Peters has been promoting and managing Irish fighters for the last 15 or so years, and deserves the praise hes getting.Hes had to grow slowly into what he is now which is a player on the world scene.Good luck to him in future.:thumbsup
i know he is a good promoter but one thing that paddy said( im not sure if he was jokin) was the he is very shy, now i know that i dont want him to be mouthing off in the rags but it seems to be a trait that all the top promoters have. Would anyone else have this concern?
I was deadly serious about him being shy. he always gets his point across in the papers hes a smart man and knows how to use the media remember when he put out that offer to maloney. hes got good people around him aswell so theres no need to worry!