Born in 1866, he went on to reign as lightweight champion in his Hall of Fame career. He is another Irishman regarded as one of the best from his country. He was involved in bouts with the likes of Jack Johnson, Barbados Joe Walcott and Bob Fitzsimmons.Ĭounty Cork-native Jack McAuliffe is regarded as one of only 17 boxing world champions to have retired without suffering a defeat in his career. One of his only three recorded losses came at the hands of all-time pound-for-pound great Bob Fitzsimmons.Īnother fighter from County Clare, George Gardiner, is considered the first undisputed light-heavyweight champion in history and also held claims to the middleweight crown. Nonpareil Jack Dempsey, born in County Kildare, is credited with being boxing’s first-ever middleweight world champion and eventually became a Hall of Fame inductee. Patrick’s Day in 1923 despite the ongoing Irish Civil War conflict right on the venue’s doorstep.īefore the famous American cultural icon Jack Dempsey arrived on the scene, there was another Irishman by the same name who first made an impact in the late 1800s. McTigue won his world title by dethroning Senegalese champion Battling Siki at the La Scala Theatre in Dublin, earning a 20-round decision on St. Unlike many fighters of his era, he resisted the temptation of returning to prize-fighting and lived out the rest of his life healthy and financially comfortable through smart business investments - living to the age of 96.Īround the same era but several divisions higher than McLarnin, County Clare-born Mike McTigue ruled as light-heavyweight world champion in the 1920s.
It was across America where he cemented his Hall of Fame legacy, becoming a two-time welterweight world champion and overcoming many fellow greats such as Benny Leonard, Barney Ross and Tony Canzoneri.Īfter a victory over Lou Ambers in 1936, McLarnin retired and never looked back. Widely regarded as the greatest fighter to ever come out of Ireland, Jimmy McLarnin was born in Hillsborough, County Down in 1907 before emigrating to Canada with his family at an early age. Patrick’s Day, as the Irish celebrate their cultural heritage as an annual tradition, BOXRAW look back at the greatest ever fighters to come from the nation. Some have stood out from the rest during their journey to the top, whether it was within the last decade or across the past century. Living up to the moniker of ‘The Fighting Irish’, these established champions made names for themselves and built their reputations from their heart, skill and overall success gained within the ring. Many world champions have risen from across both the north and south of Ireland from back in the vintage days of boxing through to the modern era. The ‘Emerald Isle’ holds a rich history of producing great fighters.
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