Headline NewsOn This Day

On This Day: August 18th

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1902: Lisdoonvarna’s George Gardner knocked out the then-undefeated Jack Root in seventeenth round of their fight in Salt Lake City, Utah. The middleweight contest was a precursor to their World light heavyweight title fight the following year which the Clare man also won.

1910: Another Clare man, Matty Curran downed former champ Jem Roach of Wexford four times in the sixth round to defend his Irish heavyweight title for the first time at the Empire Theatre in Dublin.

1927: Kenny Webb outpointed Jack Hughes at Shauns Park in a Belfast derby to take the Irish lightweight title. It was second time lucky for Webb who had unsuccessfully challenged Billy Gilmore in 1925 – and he would lose his belt to the same man in 1928.

1923: Having challenged for the belt twice before, Pat McAllister finally won the Irish welterweight title. The Irish Terror defeated Lawrence Ward via fourteenth round retirement in a Belfast derby at Croke Park.

Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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