Barry McGuigan

Although coming from a musician father, Barry McGuigan decided to take a different path in life and opted to become a professional boxer. Dubbed as the “Clones Cyclone,” Barry spent years as a featherweight champion before deciding to retire in the late 1980s.

Barry began his pound-for-pound career on May 10, 1981. His first opponent was Selwyn Bell. This debut went well, and he managed to knock Bell out after two rounds. He, however, had his first loss directly afterward. Peter Eubanks defeated him not through knockout but through a decision that was controversial and fiercely contested by both parties. Barry eventually made up for himself by defeating Eubanks the next time they met, sending him to the canvas after 8 rounds.

On June 14, 1982, Barry found Young Ali of Nigeria. This was a turning point in McGuigan’s career because he indirectly had a hand in Ali’s death. He knocked him out and won, but as a result, Ali fell into a coma and died six months after the fight. For a while, Barry debated within himself if he should continue boxing or not after realizing how dangerous it could be.

November 16, 1983, was the day when Barry coveted the World Boxing Association’s featherweight belt. He had to take it from the then-champion Valerio Nati of Italy. Barry smeared Nati’s record with a 6-round knockout win in order to become the next WBA featherweight champion.

Two years later, McGuigan faced off against Panamanian Eusebio Pedroza for the World Boxing Association world featherweight champion. McGuigan defeated Pedroza and succeeded in taking the world title by knocking him out after seven rounds into the fight. He would defend this title two times, one against Bernard Taylor and another against Danilo Cabrera. He ultimately lost this title to Stevie Cruz of Texas in 1986.

He fought two more times, defeating former champions Nicky Perez and Francisco Tomas Da Cruz, before he was defeated by Jim McDonnell by technical knockout. With his glory days over, McGuigan finally made the decision of leaving the life of a professional boxer.