Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all! We have been experiencing an issue on site where threads have been missing the latest postings. The platform host Vanilla are working on this issue. A workaround that has been used by some is to navigate back from 1 to 10+ pages to re-sync the thread and this will then show the latest posts. Thanks, Mike.
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Greatest Irish Fighter

2»

Comments

  • #52
    celtictiger
    Registered Users Posts: 105 ✭✭celtictiger


    megadodge wrote:
    When I referred to sparring as being just that, I meant in relation to how well you said Mannion did in sparring against Hagler and Hearns. Paul Spadafora gave Floyd Mayweather a boxing lesson a few years ago in sparring (it's on video and I've seen it) but there's no way I'm letting anyone tell me he would beat Mayweather in competition.

    Mannion never beat anyone of the calibre of Eubank or Benn. Collins beat both of them - twice. He also easily beat Chris Pyatt and gave McCallum a far harder fight than Mannion did and McCallum was a seriously skilful boxer.

    I don't think either of us is going to make the other change his opinion, but I think that Collins would just outwork Mannion if they met.
    You're correct - we must agree to disagree, but Collins wouldn't have beaten either Benn or Eubank in their heyday so that argument is rather a moot point. Chris Pyatt? Mannion would have easily taken him too or is that another disagreement? :) Collins fought McCallum 6 years after Mannion fought him when he was 34 years old plus McCallum was fighting at Middleweight then - weight is a sign of an ageing fighter. I'm sure Mannion would have given him a better fight if McCallum had been 6 years older.There's no doubt Mannion got a beating for 15 rounds (round 9 may have been a draw :) ) but this was McCallum we're talking about - no shame in getting a pasting from the best - calling McCallum was a seriously skilful boxer is a serious understatement :) he was definitely one of the most underrated fighters in recent history.


  • #53
    megadodge
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,394 ✭✭✭megadodge


    but Collins wouldn't have beaten either Benn or Eubank in their heyday so that argument is rather a moot point.

    As I already posted, Collins was two years OLDER than Eubank and only 6 months younger than Benn. Eubank's previous fight was one of the very best in his career.

    Both these boxers' styles were absolutely made for Collins. Long before he fought them I was constantly telling people that he'd beat either of them and for much bigger money than he was earning in the US. When he eventually signed up to fight Eubank I was begging my friends to put money on Collins to win on points. They thought I was nuts as they reckoned he'd have to KO him to win. So the very first bet I ever put on in a bookies was £20 at 7/2 on Collins to win on points ! It's all about styles ! Eubank loved to pose and ponce around for at least half of every round and most boxers were just too intimidated or not good enough to do anything about it. Collins fought for every second forcing Eubank to fight at a pace he just wasn't used to.

    Benn always was wild and relied on his power and allied to the fact that he didn't exactly have a cast-iron chin meant again with Collins chin, workrate and absolute belief in himself that result was never in doubt in my mind. I'll admit Benn was past his best when they fought but the result would always have been the same.

    On the other hand someone like Herol Graham (one of the most avoided fighters of the 80's/ early 90's) would have beaten Collins easily as his speed of hand and foot and reflexes would have left Collins swiping at thin air. It's all about styles !

    As for McCallum being better when Mannion fought him. That was McCallum's first ever world title fight. By the time he fought Collins he was having his 10th world title fight having shared the ring with and beaten David Braxton, Julian Jackson, Don Curry, Milton McCrory and in the fight before Collins one Herol Graham. AFTER the Collins fight (he was 33 not 34) he beat Watson, reversed his only loss to Kalambay, got robbed against Toney and won another world title at Light Heavy. Even at nearly 40 he was able to go the full distance with Roy Jones. He was as good as he ever could be against Collins and his performances immediately before and after prove that.


  • #54
    celtictiger
    Registered Users Posts: 105 ✭✭celtictiger


    megadodge wrote:
    On the other hand someone like Herol Graham (one of the most avoided fighters of the 80's/ early 90's) would have beaten Collins easily as his speed of hand and foot and reflexes would have left Collins swiping at thin air. It's all about styles !
    Exactly - which is why I reckon Mannion would have taken him on points :)

    On another note it's a shocking pity we were never granted a Hearns v McCallum fight.


  • #55
    lorgain
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1 ✭lorgain


    Big Ears, Ike O`Neill Weir the first World Featherweight Champion was born in Lurgan Co Armagh, I obtained his baptisimal records from St Peters RC Church in Lurgan. Weir was born in 1867 and died in Somerville Mass USA in 1908.
    Weir nicknamed The Belfast Spider has been credited with being born in Belfast, this Bangor birthplace is another mistake, there is a plaque commemorating him in Lurgan.


  • #56
    kravist
    Closed Accounts Posts: 160 ✭✭kravist


    Big Ears wrote: »
    Other Irish fighters that Fitzsimmons and his corner men were livid with Earp and were furiously protesting with him till he pulled a pistol on them ! . Due to the controversial nature of the bout and the return of undefeated champ James J Corbett , Fitzsimmons and Corbett fought for the title and Sharkey could not defend it . Sharkey was from Dundalk .
    .

    To the best of my knowledge "Gentleman" Jim Corbett was Irish too. Piece of trivia for you, the stain glass windows of Partry Catholic church in Co. Mayo were comissioned by Gentleman Jim..who eventually lost favour with the church for divorcing!


  • #57
    Big Ears
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,980 ✭✭✭Big Ears


    kravist wrote: »
    To the best of my knowledge "Gentleman" Jim Corbett was Irish too. Piece of trivia for you, the stain glass windows of Partry Catholic church in Co. Mayo were comissioned by Gentleman Jim..who eventually lost favour with the church for divorcing!

    American born , although I think he may have had Irish parents or grandparents .
    But if I was counting Irish-Americans I'd be here all day.........fully Irish gentleman Jim was not .


  • #58
    DONNELLON
    Registered Users Posts: 17 ✭DONNELLON


    Corbett's father was from Kilmaine, Co.Mayo(Just over the road from me.)
    I like this forum and I'll be back!


  • #59
    bono_v
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 217 ✭✭bono_v


    Fantastic documentary on Seán Mannion on tg4 with subtitles
    https://www.tg4.ie/en/programmes/rocky-ros-muc/

    Also equally as good radio documentary here;

    https://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/2014/0912/647703-sean-mannion-rocky-rosmuc-connemara-boxing/


  • #60
    thegrowreport
    Registered Users Posts: 72 ✭✭thegrowreport


    bono_v wrote: »
    Fantastic documentary on Seán Mannion on tg4 with subtitles
    https://www.tg4.ie/en/programmes/rocky-ros-muc/

    Also equally as good radio documentary here;

    https://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/2014/0912/647703-sean-mannion-rocky-rosmuc-connemara-boxing/

    Excellent - thanks for those links. Enjoying the radio doc right now. Really great:)


  • Advertisement
  • #61
    thegrowreport
    Registered Users Posts: 72 ✭✭thegrowreport


    my top Irish boxers would be

    1. Steve Collins/ Barry McGuigan
    2. Carl Frampton
    3. Sean Mannion
    4. Wayne McCullough/ Michael Carruth / Bernard Dunne
    5. Fred Teidt/ Rinty Monaghan


  • #62
    blade1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,465 ✭✭✭✭blade1


    You may or may not have seen this film about Mike McTigue.
    I bumped into his granddaughter around 2 years ago and she told me a few stories.

    A bloody canvas.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPJsL3vubKc


  • #63
    Perry12
    Registered Users Posts: 61 ✭✭Perry12


    bono_v wrote: »
    Fantastic documentary on Seán Mannion on tg4 with subtitles
    https://www.tg4.ie/en/programmes/rocky-ros-muc/

    Also equally as good radio documentary here;

    https://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/2014/0912/647703-sean-mannion-rocky-rosmuc-connemara-boxing/




    Seems to have disappeared from the site. Do you know where I could find it?


  • #64
    YFlyer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,717 ✭✭✭YFlyer


    Who is Spike Sullivan?


  • #65
    simongurnick
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,919 ✭✭✭simongurnick


    blade1 wrote: »
    You may or may not have seen this film about Mike McTigue.
    I bumped into his granddaughter around 2 years ago and she told me a few stories.

    A bloody canvas.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPJsL3vubKc

    Amazing story. Thanks for posting


  • #66
    Fiery mutant
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,553 ✭✭✭Fiery mutant


    Surely Katie Taylor has to be involved in this conversation at this stage. I know The thread is over 10 years old at this stage, but her success and what she has done for women’s boxing, cannot be dismissed.

    We should defend our way of life to an extent that any attempt on it is crushed, so that any adversary will never make such an attempt in the future.



  • Advertisement
  • #67
    Rows Grower
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,362 ✭✭✭Rows Grower


    Fiery mutant wrote: »
    Surely Katie Taylor has to be involved in this conversation at this stage. I know The thread is over 10 years old at this stage, but her success and what she has done for women’s boxing, cannot be dismissed.

    No. 1 without a doubt.

    "Very soon we are going to Mars. You wouldn't have been going to Mars if my opponent won, that I can tell you. You wouldn't even be thinking about it."

    Donald Trump, March 13th 2018.



  • #68
    Deiseboy01
    Registered Users Posts: 972 ✭✭✭Deiseboy01


    Rows Grower wrote: »
    No. 1 without a doubt.

    WUM.

    There's what, maybe 30 lightweight women pros, maybe 5 decent ones? Not even in the conversation.


Advertisement