who is the best irish boxer past or present?

celtictiger32 · 09-03-2011 02:24AM #1

just putting it out there for discussion.... anybody from barry mcguigan to katie taylor it doesnt matter even the nearly men and could of beens. what do you think.

p.s not sure if there has been a thread on this before but just thought id stick it up

Big Ears · 09-03-2011 03:58AM

Jimmy McLarnin, he holds more wins over fighters in the International Boxing Hall of fame than any other fighter(Irish or otherwise). An olden day Manny Pacquiao, rising from Flyweight to Welterweight and defeating elite fighters on the way. He holds wins over great such as Fidel Labrba, Pancho Villa, Benny Leonard, Barney Ross, Tony Canzoneri, Louis Kaplan, Sammy Mandell, Lou Ambers, Young Corbett and Jackie Fields among others.

To put it simply, for another Irish fighter to surpass him as the greatest Irish fighter ever they would almost certainly have to become the current p4p #1 fighter in the World.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlWPTK1eYVo

That's him in one of his very close fights with fellow great Barney Ross.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMDBq20Ob2I

and in his knockout win over Al Singer. You can see his progression from the Singer fight to the Ross fight where he is much improved.

I don't expect we'll ever have a fighter that possesses as a good a record or is as good for their time period as McLarnin again. You could find flaws in him that boxing was still progressing from his time period to the current day and that there are technical flaws in him. While that is true, he was still very advanced for his time, and his physical attributes as a fighter were tremendous too, he'd be a very hard man for most modern Lightweights-Welterweights to face.

hinault · 09-03-2011 04:17AM

I never heard of that boxer.

Truly I have learnt something new today!

celtictiger32 · 09-03-2011 05:39AM

Big Ears wrote: »

Jimmy McLarnin, he holds more wins over fighters in the International Boxing Hall of fame than any other fighter(Irish or otherwise). An olden day Manny Pacquiao, rising from Flyweight to Welterweight and defeating elite fighters on the way. He holds wins over great such as Fidel Labrba, Pancho Villa, Benny Leonard, Barney Ross, Tony Canzoneri, Louis Kaplan, Sammy Mandell, Lou Ambers, Young Corbett and Jackie Fields among others.

To put it simply, for another Irish fighter to surpass him as the greatest Irish fighter ever they would almost certainly have to become the current p4p #1 fighter in the World.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlWPTK1eYVo

That's him in one of his very close fights with fellow great Barney Ross.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMDBq20Ob2I

and in his knockout win over Al Singer. You can see his progression from the Singer fight to the Ross fight where he is much improved.

I don't expect we'll ever have a fighter that possesses as a good a record or is as good for their time period as McLarnin again. You could find flaws in him that boxing was still progressing from his time period to the current day and that there are technical flaws in him. While that is true, he was still very advanced for his time, and his physical attributes as a fighter were tremendous too, he'd be a very hard man for most modern Lightweights-Welterweights to face.

good stuff wasnt expecting him as the first up but good contender alright.

slapbangwallop · 09-03-2011 12:22PM

Thread over! Big Ears is right.

The Scourge of the Hebrew fought and beat more Hall of Fame fighters than any other fighter EVER!

BE, have you got the documentary about him that was on Setanta back in the days?

FTA69 · 09-03-2011 12:56PM

Yep, sin é; McLarnin has it.

Other possibilities could be the likes of John L Sullivan back in the prize fighter days. In modern times you'd have to say Barry McGuigan.

cowzerp · 09-03-2011 01:02PM

Collins was great and really lifted the spirits beating Pyatt, and Eubank and Benn twice..

walshb · 09-03-2011 01:19PM

cowzerp wrote: »

Collins was great and really lifted the spirits beating Pyatt, and Eubank and Benn twice..

Pyatt I wouldn't include, more a LM than middle; but good win all the same.
Pyatt did have a win over Kalambay, who beat Collins.,
Collins was a hero, warrior and all that, but horrible to watch. So awkward.

LK_Dave · 09-03-2011 01:22PM

Big Ears wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMDBq20Ob2I

and in his knockout win over Al Singer. You can see his progression from the Singer fight to the Ross fight where he is much improved.

I don't expect we'll ever have a fighter that possesses as a good a record or is as good for their time period as McLarnin again. You could find flaws in him that boxing was still progressing from his time period to the current day and that there are technical flaws in him. While that is true, he was still very advanced for his time, and his physical attributes as a fighter were tremendous too, he'd be a very hard man for most modern Lightweights-Welterweights to face.

The commentator states that McLarin at this stage is 23 was fighting 6 years, won 60 lost only 6. By any stretch of the imagination that is some record. A professional fight every month! Am I correct? The boy must be as tough as a coffin nail.

celtictiger32 · 09-03-2011 05:35PM

cowzerp wrote: »

Collins was great and really lifted the spirits beating Pyatt, and Eubank and Benn twice..

yes i remember pro box that used to be on eurosport back in the day they would constantly be going on about eubank and then they met steve collins... brilliant

gene_tunney · 09-03-2011 05:41PM

If you want to stretch the definition of Irish, I'd say Dempsey, but that's pushing it.

celtictiger32 · 09-03-2011 05:47PM

gene_tunney wrote: »

If you want to stretch the definition of Irish, I'd say Dempsey, but that's pushing it.

all allowed and its opinionated anyway so i didnt just mean who won the most or whatever......

slapbangwallop · 09-03-2011 06:25PM

gene_tunney wrote: »

If you want to stretch the definition of Irish, I'd say Dempsey, but that's pushing it.

Well it would be a stretch, despite the second name, Dempsey didnt consider himself Irish and considered himself more Native American is anything!

celtictiger32 · 09-03-2011 06:27PM

what about any of the current crop anyone think their good enough to be one of the greats??????

Hannibal · 09-03-2011 06:36PM

Mike Tyson's biological fathers name is Jimmy Kirkpatrick, so does he count?

celtictiger32 · 09-03-2011 06:37PM

Dotsey wrote: »

Mike Tyson's biological fathers name is Jimmy Kirkpatrick, so does he count?

wouldnt think so

Hannibal · 09-03-2011 06:43PM

celtictiger32 wrote: »

wouldnt think so

there has to be a bit of green in him somewhere with a name like that and could possibly be as Irish as Jack Dempsey.
I don't think there's any great Irish boxers around at the moment, but that could change if McCloskey beats Khan when they fight.
In my lifetime I think Collins and McCullough would be the two that stick out

celtictiger32 · 09-03-2011 06:48PM

what about andy murray i think could be a future champion ??

Hannibal · 09-03-2011 07:10PM

celtictiger32 wrote: »

what about andy murray i think could be a future champion ??

I know he's unbeaten but at 28 he still has a long way to go to fight top class opponents, so far he's fought nobodys. So there's a few major steps to be taken to move up in the rankings

yabadabado · 09-03-2011 08:11PM

The doc about Mclarnin that was on Setanta is well worth a watch.I dont think it is available on-line.

cowzerp · 09-03-2011 08:37PM

Dotsey wrote: »

Mike Tyson's biological fathers name is Jimmy Kirkpatrick, so does he count?

His father is/was Irish, but mike did not really know him.

celtictiger32 · 09-03-2011 09:45PM

Dotsey wrote: »

I know he's unbeaten but at 28 he still has a long way to go to fight top class opponents, so far he's fought nobodys. So there's a few major steps to be taken to move up in the rankings

true looks like he has a bit all the same.. maybe some of the amateur lads coming through will make the grade ive seen a good few of them and some of them look like they could be top notch pros

walshb · 09-03-2011 09:50PM

What's this Mike Tyson Irish claim?

I know we as Irish try to claim everyone as one of ours; even Ali
was Irish according to some. So, Tyson's dad? Irish? What?

Was he born here? Is he white? Has he ginger hair too?

As for Andy Murray? I am still waiting on Murray to fight something even fringe world class.
Will he ever be a legit world champion? I think I would stand a better chance
at winning the lotto. Sorry Andy!

celtictiger32 · 09-03-2011 09:55PM

walshb wrote: »

What's this Mike Tyson Irish claim?

I know we as Irish try to claim everyone as one of ours; even Ali
was Irish according to some. So, Tyson's dad? Irish? What?

Was he born here? Is he white? Has he ginger hair too?

As for Andy Murray? I am still waiting on Murray to fight something even fringe world class.
Will he ever be a legit world champion? I think I would stand a better chance
at winning the lotto. Sorry Andy!

not a bit harsh?? i do agree he hasnt fought anyone of too much note but i do think he is an excellant boxer who has a lot of potential

Hannibal · 10-03-2011 02:33AM

cowzerp wrote: »

His father is/was Irish, but mike did not really know him.

Doesn't matter whether he knew him or not, if there's green flowing through Tyson we should claim him as a national treasure.

celtictiger32 · 10-03-2011 02:37AM

ah i think your clutching at straws claiming mike tyson as irish

Johner · 10-03-2011 10:39AM

Gotta be Paddy Murphy,

This was him in his early bareknuckle days,

Him after winning keeping his unbeaten record intact,

And finally capturing the world title and bringing it back home, Great times!

Big Ears · 10-03-2011 12:21PM

slapbangwallop wrote: »

Thread over! Big Ears is right.

The Scourge of the Hebrew fought and beat more Hall of Fame fighters than any other fighter EVER!

BE, have you got the documentary about him that was on Setanta back in the days?

Although I'm aware of it I've never even seen the thing, heard it was very good.
As for Jack Dempsey, the one which the heavyweight took his name from(nonpareil) is actually a decent shout, but not up there with McLarnin imo http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=17958&cat=boxer

celtictiger32 · 10-03-2011 02:33PM

Johner wrote: »

Gotta be Paddy Murphy,

This was him in his early bareknuckle days,

Him after winning keeping his unbeaten record intact,

And finally capturing the world title and bringing it back home, Great times!

is that that guy alvarez, if it is i watched that fight with him and matthew hatton the other night, this guy is good looks kind of like a heavyweight style fighter imo.............. but unfortunately even though he has the look hes not irish

FTA69 · 10-03-2011 03:20PM

That man is absolutely positively Irish, I don't care if he's Latino; anyone that ginger has to be Irish.

As for Tyson's father being Irish, pure nonsense. There's loads of blacks in the USA with Irish names due to slavery.

celtictiger32 · 10-03-2011 03:22PM

the commentator for that fight even said he looks like he should be fighting out of dublin......... cheeky

who is the best irish boxer past or present?

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