Barry McGuigan was for a time, the most exciting boxer in the world enjoying fanatical support and captivating the imaginations of millions across Ireland and Britain. The first book written about him by writer and director Jim Sheridan was aptly titled ‘Leave the Fighting to McGuigan’ this was in reference to the sectarian violence that was rife in Northern Ireland in the 1980s. McGuigan a Catholic was from the border town of Clones, which is in the Republic of Ireland. He married Sandy who was a Protestant. When he fought all the violence seemed to be put on hold as both sides supported him. He wore the dove of peace on his shorts and preached tolerance.

In a distinguished amateur career he won Ulster championships and went on to represent Northern Ireland in the Commonwealth Games at Edmonton in 1978 winning a gold medal in his first international tournament, he was only seventeen years old. Two years later he represented the Republic of Ireland at the Olympics held in Moscow in 1980. After losing a controversial points decision in one of the early rounds he felt so disenchanted that he nearly walked away from boxing altogether.

Fortunately McGuigan’s break from the sport was temporary and he turned professional in May 1981 on the undercard of Charlie Nash’s last fight. His opponent was the journeyman Selvin Bell. On a surprisingly cold and damp night for that time of year the crowd were in a glum mood as their hero Nash lost. Enter a new hero: Barry McGuigan. He won in the second round and the crowd clearly loved his all action style, as former ‘Boxing News’ editor Harry Mullan commented ‘You would think McGuigan had just won the world title, instead of being the 43rd man to have beaten Selvin Bell.’

He lost his third contest in arguably a ‘hometown’ decision in Brighton to Peter Eubank, which he later avenged by eighth round stoppage. In only his fourth fight at the Ulster Hall, Belfast he met Belgian Jean-Marc Renard who would go on to win the European (EBU) title at featherweight and super featherweight and unsuccessfully challenge for the world WBA featherweight title. In a thrilling and keenly contested eight round fight McGuigan emerged victorious by just one point on referee Harry Gibbs scorecard.

Of his first 14 contests in 1981 and 1982 only 3 went the distance. Tragically one of these fights saw Young Ali, a 24 year old from Nigeria, lapsing into a coma and dieing five months later. A devastated McGuigan pondered his future in the sport once again and seriously considered walking away from it. Eventually he resolved to carry on, as he wanted the man to beat Ali to be a champion and not just another ordinary fighter.

In April of 1983 he defeated Vernon Penprase in the second round to win the vacant British featherweight title. The decision to fight for the British title meant that McGuigan had to take out British citizenship, yet another hard decision to make, particularly in light of the more hard-line elements in the republican movement in Ireland who would have taken a dim view of this action.

In the summer of 1983 McGuigan trained for a contest in Chicago, his first taste of action in America. It was all to raise his profile over there whilst at the same time getting valuable experience against American and South American fighters who fought in his weight class and above. Reportedly sparring sessions in Chicago and at Gleason’s Gym in New York City were like ‘mini wars’ and McGuigan acquitted himself so well that one of his sparring partners, world class super featherweight Tony Santana said to him ‘Hey, man, you fight like a brother.’ The whole trip was a fruitful one and must have tremendously boosted his confidence.

In November of that same year he beat the Italian boxer Valerio Nati by a knockout in the sixth round at the Kings Hall, Belfast. This was significant as not only had he stepped up in class it was the first of many magical nights at the Kings Hall, which had amazing acoustics by virtue of it as a musical venue. The support and atmosphere here would often lift McGuigan to great heights and must have been intimidating even for the most seasoned of professional boxers facing him there.

His fights would eventually be broadcast on the BBC in Northern Ireland and in Britain, on RTE in the Republic of Ireland and by the ABC network in America. Thanks to his all-action, uncompromising style the ‘Clones Cyclone’ with his appealing back-story and his modest, likeable demeanour was proving to be huge box office.

McGuigan was the ultimate pressure fighter with unlimited stamina who relentlessly kept coming forward stalking opponents. He had strong shoulders, a long reach and massive fists that carried knockout power. His jab was a snapping, powerful and unnervingly accurate one rather than a range-finder and his body punches were literally breathtaking! Many opponents were left helplessly crumpled on the canvas courtesy of a McGuigan body attack.

In his first contest of 1984 however he had somewhat of an off night as he struggled to grind down and eventually stop the rugged Zambian Charm Chiteule in the tenth round. A win is a win and it was onwards and upwards. His next opponent was his hardest to date in world class and a recent world title challenger: Jose Caba of the Dominican Republic. On one of those special nights at the Kings Hall McGuigan would not be denied and he stopped Caba in seven impressive rounds serving notice that he was now a world-class operator. The crowd nearly raised the roof at the conclusion to this one.

Spain’s Esteban Eguia was next in a defence of the European title and was brushed away in three exciting rounds. Two more non-title wins followed and then McGuigan defended his British and European titles against Britain’s Clyde Ruan, again at the Kings Hall. Before the contest the vastly experienced amateur and decent professional boxer Ruan said he ‘wanted to prove that McGuigan was no superman.’ He tried but was knocked out in four rounds.

Afterwards Ruan famously commented that fighting McGuigan was ‘like fighting a ghost.’ This was testament to McGuigan’s excellent and underrated defensive skill. Fans often got caught up so much in the punches thrown that they forgot that McGuigan was also a master of slipping punches, feinting and tricking opponents into making mistakes. He was constantly bobbing and weaving and moving his head. By now fighting him must have been a particularly daunting prospect even for world-class boxers.

Puerto Rican born New Yorker Juan LaPorte was next. He was a rock chinned and hard punching boxer who had lost on points to the great Mexican boxer Salvador Sanchez in a WBC world title challenge in 1980, knocked out future champion Rocky Lockridge in two (no one else managed to do that), given WBA world champion Eusebio Pedroza all the trouble he could handle in a foul-filled action packed close decision loss in 1982, lost on points to world ranked contender Gerald Hayes and pushed Wilfredo Gomez all the way in a challenge for the WBC featherweight title in 1984.

LaPorte was 25 – 5 with 13 wins coming inside the distance when he fought McGuigan and remember he was still only 25 years old. At last the Irishman would face a real ‘live’ world class fighter who had made a career of mixing it with the very best giving them wars into the bargain. He was the perfect opponent to test McGuigan’s mettle and to see if he ‘had it’ at world level.

In a highly charged February evening at the Kings Hall McGuigan boxed beautifully taking a big points lead. In the ninth round questions about his chin were quickly answered as a fearsome looking right caught McGuigan. Later he admitted that such was the force and disorienting effect of the blow that for a couple of seconds he was transported back to a sweet shop he frequented as a youth!

Thankfully for all of the fans there and watching on television with their hopes pinned on him McGuigan stayed on his feet and boxed his way out of the crisis. He stormed back in the tenth showing tremendous heart and character and LaPorte was kept on the back foot and almost overwhelmed by the time the bell rang to end the contest. The scoring was academic as the crowd roared its approval. Barry McGuigan was ready for a world title fight after overcoming his toughest obstacle so far.

A routine defence of the European title quickly followed at the end of March against Frenchman Farid Gallouze. All this match proved was that the gulf in class between McGuigan and European level fighters was now immense as he stopped his challenger in two one-sided rounds.

Later that evening negotiations to bring WBA world champion Eusebio Pedroza over to defend his title against McGuigan were almost finalised. It was clear that the champion’s camp did not want to go to the cauldron like atmosphere of the Kings Hall and insisted on fighting in Britain. Eventually Loftus Road, home of football club Queens Park Rangers was agreed upon and the momentous match-up was signed to take place there on 8 June 1985.

At the time Ghanaian Azumah Nelson had recently just won the WBC version of the world title against Wilfredo Gomez whereas Panama’s 29-year-old Eusebio Pedroza held the WBA portion and had been undefeated as world champion for seven years. He had made nineteen successful defences of his world title, travelling all over the world to places such as Puerto Rico, Japan, America, Papa New Guinea, Venezuela and Italy.

Among Pedroza’s defences were fighters of the calibre of: legendary Ruben Olivares (admittedly past his prime), Rocky Lockridge (who gave Pedroza two torrid title defences losing close disputed decisions), Juan LaPorte, Bernard Taylor (a classy boxer from North Carolina, USA who fought Pedroza to a draw) and Jose Caba.

Pedroza had also recently defeated top contender Gerald Hayes in a non-title fight. There was no doubt that Pedroza was a modern great. He was a wily, crafty boxer with ice in his veins. He frequently wore an impassive expression and remained cool and calm even in the heat of a battle. His longevity as world champion was thanks to his cunning and excellent boxing skills. In his bag of tricks he had great footwork, excellent defence, a jab, an uppercut and a bolo punch, allied to this was the ability to foul (usually on the blindside of the referee!) just look at his contest with LaPorte on Youtube and you will see what I mean!

Team McGuigan were certainly not taking the easy route to a world title and he trained like never before at his base in Bangor. Sparring partners from America and Latin America were brought in, including old Pedroza foe Gerald Hayes to sharpen McGuigan up. Also highly respected American trainer Teddy Atlas (who worked with Mike Tyson and later Michael Moorer among many others) was brought over to assist with tactics. It was a perfect training camp apart from one setback when McGuigan injured the tendons in his left arm, fortunately this did not become a major factor in the fight.

The weigh-in at London was one of the most memorable as a traffic delay on the way to the venue meant that the challenger’s camp did not actually see Pedroza weigh-in. The champion had a crowd of Panamanians around him who all leapt up raising their arms cheering as quick as a flash Pedroza hopped on and off before the scales had calibrated. A WBA official indicated that he was satisfied but McGuigan’s manager Barney Eastwood was clearly and understandably incensed. Pedroza’s manager the wily Santiago Del Rio smiled to himself enjoying the gamesmanship he typically engaged in.

Later that day in the dressing room the fun and games would continue. McGuigan’s brother Dermot was in the champions dressing room to make sure that the bandages were properly wrapped around the champions fists. He nodded that he was satisfied with them whilst at the same time a small drama was playing out in the challengers changing room. Santiago Del Rio kept arguing that the McGuigan’s bandages were not wrapped properly. Of course they were and it was all an attempt to get inside McGuigan’s head and to frustrate him. When Del Rio left with another smirk on his face he believed the damage had been done, it was the last time he would smile that night.

The scene was set: 27,000 fans eagerly packed Loftus Road; 20 million people watched the contest on the BBC and an estimated 200 million watched worldwide. It was an event as much as a boxing match. An Irish leprechaun jumped around the ring dancing in front of the Panamanian corner (a surprise Eastwood arranged to unsettle Pedroza) and McGuigan’s father sang ‘Danny Boy’ along with the 27,000 fans. The atmosphere was electric and the fight was an exciting one and lived up to all the hype.

All the wiles of the champion and his corner playing all their old repertoire of tricks that had served them so well over the previous seven years were unable to stop the youth, strength and ambition of the relentless and determined challenger. After some anxious early rounds McGuigan had the champion down in the seventh, staggering in the ninth and nearly stopped in the thirteenth. At the end of fifteen rounds there was no question who had won and McGuigan’s handlers lifted him up on their shoulders before the official decision was announced.

The crowd roared their approval and even Pedroza walked over to McGuigan and said ‘You’ll be a good champion.’ The ultimate compliment. The decision was finally announced: McGuigan was the new champion on a unanimous decision.

Just three months later McGuigan had to face number one mandatory challenger USA’s Bernard Taylor who was an exceptionally fast and classy boxer who had fought Pedroza to a disputed draw in late 1982. The ‘B.T. Express’ had been an exceptional amateur and was unquestionably a brilliant professional, it was clear that McGuigan would have his hands full.

In the event held at Belfast’s Kings Hall Taylor proved to be every bit as tricky and elusive as all the experts had feared. After five rounds he had fought to a comfortable lead over the champion. But in the sixth McGuigan started to connect at last with some hurtful body shots. By the end of the eighth Taylor had a hunted look about him and he refused to come out for the ninth round. It was an unsatisfactory conclusion to the contest for the champion who felt that as the world title was on the line Taylor should have continued, by pulling out on a corner retirement he had denied McGuigan a stoppage or knockout victory.

Still, McGuigan had closed a fantastic and unforgettable year: He had defeated three exceptional world-class boxers in the dangerous LaPorte, the legendary Pedroza and the classy Taylor. There was no doubt who was the best in the world.

Life at the top with the constant media attention with fans wanting to meet him proved tough and as champion McGuigan soon found that all the other boxers were lining up like gunslingers to try their luck against him whether it was in sparring or in contests. His next defence against 22-year-old Danilo Carbrera of the Dominican Republic in February 1986 in Dublin proved to be a surprisingly tough, gruelling and bruising encounter. The fight seemed to be over when the referee Eddie Eckert stopped it at the end of the eighth round with Carbrera in all sorts of trouble, yet Eckert had not heard the bell over the din of the crowd. Carbrera’s cornermen protested furiously and the fight was ordered to continue.

One of McGuigan’s eyes got thumbed in around the fifth and it was rapidly swelling shut so when Eckert halted the action in the eighth it was a massive relief. Now he was faced with a determined challenger whose corner had managed to buy several minutes of recovery time in the melee whilst the champion’s eye continued to deteriorate. More drama in a McGuigan fight!

Round after round McGuigan piled on the pressure finally stopping the brave challenger in the fourteenth round. It was another win and another memorable night but it was getting tough at the top!

The next defence was scheduled for 23 June 1986 in Las Vegas in an attempt to raise McGuigan’s profile in the USA. He would fight on a bill known as ‘The Triple Hitter’ as he would headline with Thomas Hearns and (McGuigan’s boyhood idol) Roberto Duran. It was all exciting stuff. All was going smoothly until scheduled opponent Argentina’s Fernando Sosa pulled out. The substitute was a classy counter-puncher from Texas of Mexican descent, Steve Cruz. McGuigan had to adjust his training for a completely different style knowing that his opponent would be used to the sweltering desert heat.

Much has been written and said about this contest and without going too deeply into it you have to question the wisdom of pitting a North European boxer in a ring in the afternoon, in the middle of summer and in the desert. McGuigan took the first four or five rounds with his customary aggression. He looked shaken in the sixth and was surprisingly floored for a count in the tenth. He won the twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth rounds testament to his conditioning and tremendous willpower but by the start of the fifteenth round the tank was on empty.

In this crucial last round McGuigan was floored twice and did well to survive to the bell. If he had stayed on his feet he would have won on points, if he was knocked down just once he would have kept the title on a draw. If it had not been for a point deduction earlier (for perceived low blows) the score line may have been different as well. But the result was that the title had changed hands and we must not tarnish Cruz’s manner of victory as he had fought a tactically sound fight, showed plenty of pluck and courage himself and fully deserved the win.

Later McGuigan admitted that he would not have wanted to keep the title on a draw and by being knocked down in the last round he did not feel like the winner anyway.

Boxing is full of ‘what if’ scenarios and I am convinced that had the contest taken place even an hour or so later McGuigan would have retained the title. If it had taken place today it would have been scheduled for twelve rounds and again McGuigan would have retained the title. We can’t change history and to dwell on these things is pointless.

As later events transpired even if he kept the title McGuigan was going to be kept away from the boxing ring for a long time. Not only had he suffered with terrible dehydration warranting an overnight stay in hospital after the Cruz fight, over the following months his infant daughter would become desperately ill (making an eventual recovery), his beloved father became ill and died at the tragically young age of fifty two and to top it all off there was a court case with manager Barney Eastwood which saw what was a close and profitable partnership come crumbling to a bitter end. McGuigan has since commented that his mind was far away from all things boxing and against this terrible background it is understandable that he did not pursue his boxing career.

When he did eventually make his comeback it was a division up at super featherweight (where McGuigan said he felt much stronger) and he was now based in England fighting for Promoter Frank Warren. It was exciting for the fans and certainly for McGuigan who was eager to test himself to see if the magic was still there.

It was April 1988 and at the Alexandra Pavilion, London McGuigan impressively stopped game journeyman Nicky Perez in the fourth round. This was a stronger looking McGuigan, always his own harshest critic he complained that his ‘timing and accuracy were a mile off’ but to everyone else he looked pretty good.

Next was world class contender Francisco Tomas Da Cruz of Brazil who had lasted into the third round against Mexican great Julio Cesar Chavez in a challenge for the WBC super featherweight title. McGuigan wanted to go one better than that if he could and the scene was set at Kenilworth Road the home of Luton Town FC. In an atmosphere reminiscent of the old days McGuigan swarmed all over Da Cruz who showed flashes of skill before wilting under a blistering McGuigan attack in the fourth round.

McGuigan closed 1988 with a contest in December at Picketts Lock Stadium, London against slippery Argentinean and world-class contender Julio Cesar Miranda. The eighth round stoppage win was a bittersweet one as Miranda had opened up nasty cuts over both McGuigan’s eyes through an unintentional (?) head butt. Although he wore Miranda down, McGuigan felt that he should have finished him off in the third round when he floored him for a count. McGuigan said that the old version of him would have managed to do so. There was a feeling from the fighter and the fans that perhaps some of the sparkle had gone. Whether it was a one-off ‘bad day at the office’ or near the end of the road was uncertain.

His next fight could not have been of greater importance in getting him back on top of the world. In an eliminator for WBC world champion Azumah Nelson’s title McGuigan would face the strong and very talented London boxer Jim McDonnell. ‘Jimmy Mac’ had acquitted himself well against WBA world super featherweight champion Brian Mitchell in a losing points effort the previous year. There was no doubt that McGuigan was up against a dangerous, hungry and highly capable foe. The contest was unsurprisingly billed: ‘Nowhere To Run, Nowhere To Hide’ and as commentator Reg Gutteridge rightly pointed out there would be ‘nowhere to go for the loser.’

McDonnell was known as a smooth, slick boxer with exceptional footwork. McGuigan’s game plan was to cut off the ring and wear him down over the course of the fight and his tactics were based on the fight going into the later rounds where he felt he would eventually catch up and stop McDonnell.

Unfortunately a slashing and perfectly timed left hook counter from McDonnell opened a horrific cut over McGuigan’s right eye in the second round upsetting his fight plans. McGuigan did appear to hurt and even floor McDonnell briefly but for the best part he was being picked off at range from the elusive Londoner. In the fourth round and over McGuigan’s protests referee Mickey Vann stopped the contest. The dream was over.

McGuigan did not waste any time in announcing his retirement from the boxing ring in the dressing room afterwards. He was only twenty-eight but the scar tissue over his eyes made him vulnerable and he also felt that his old sharpness and accuracy had not returned. It was a terrible shame but ultimately it was the right decision as no one wanted to see McGuigan end his days as an ‘opponent’ or a ‘name’ for up and coming fighters on their records.

Since retiring McGuigan has remained hugely popular on both sides of the Atlantic. He is a renowned writer, commentator, trainer, manager and promoter and is still one of the most recognizable figures in the sport today. He was also a founding member of the Professional Boxers Association with fellow ex-boxers Nicky Piper and Colin McMillan in 1993 and his involvement continued until 2008. Since then he has opened many boxing academies across the country and in 2005 he had the greatest honour a former fighter can have bestowed upon them when he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame at the annual ceremony held at Canastota, upstate New York.

He will always be remembered as ‘The Clones Cyclone’ and for a few glorious years he captivated and enthralled fight fans across the world, uniting a country during one of its darkest times whenever he fought.

World Featherweight Champion: 1985 – 1986

World Title Fights: 4 Won: 3 Lost: 1

Career Fights: 35 Won: 32 Lost: 3 Knockouts: 28