On This Day: June 15th
1971: Flyweight Neil McLaughlin and bantamweight Mick Dowling won in Madrid to guarantee bronze medals at the European Championships. Following a win over Bulgarian Dimitar Milev, Derry’s McLaughlin defeated Turkey’s Mustafa Ozben to claim bronze. In the semi finals McLaughlin would lose to Spaniard Juan Francisco Rodriguez.
Dowling, a bronze medalist in 1969, defeated Greek Antonios Houliaras in the last 16 before outpointing home favourite Jose Luis Otero to take bronze. In the semi final Dowling was controversially defeated by USSR fighter Alexandr Melnikov.
2002: Neil Sinclair took out Wexford-born Leeds fighter Derek Roche in less than a round in front of his home fans at the Leeds Town Hall to defend his British welterweight title for the first time. A left to the body put Roche down for the count, giving Belfast’s ‘Sinky’ the win.
1945: In their fourth of five bouts, Jimmy Ingle and John ‘Spike’ McCormack fought to a draw at Dalymount Park for the Irish middleweight title. Kerryman McCormack had beaten the amateur star twice in non-title bouts before they faced off for the middleweight belt in November 1944. It would be Spike who won the strap via a dramatic thirteenth round stoppage on cuts whilst Ingle was ahead on the scorecards.
Following the draw, the pair would face off for a fifth and final time in 1947, this time in Tolka Park, and Ingle finally emerged victorious, winning on points over ten.
