On This Day: September 27th

2003: Damaen Kelly travelled to Colombia to unsuccessfully challenge for the IBF flyweight title in a fight that was screened on BBC. The Belfast man took on reigning champ Irene Pacheco who was making his sixth defence. The hard-working Kelly gave a good account of himself in South America but was no match for the classy southpaw who floored him thrice with bodyshots in the sixth leading to the Irishman’s withdrawal at the end of the round.

Watch Damaen Kelly v Irene Pacheco in full below:

1903: Lisdoonvarna’s George Gardner was outpointed over twenty rounds by Barbadian future World welterweight champion Joe Walcott at the Mechanic’s Pavilion in San Francisco. Walcott would win the World title later in 1903 and the pair would rematch in a non-title bout the following April at the same venue where Gardenr would exact his revenge.