As a young amateur boxer I watched and marvelled as the top guys of the sport strutted their stuff and thrilled us on the big stage.
For me I was always interested in the home grown Irish boxers that were coming onto the professional stage.
Around the same time at the tender age of 14 I travelled up to the famed Ulster Hall in Belfast to get my first glimpse of professional boxing at first hand. That night one man stood out from the array of talent on show. His name was Brian Magee.
I watched in awe as he masterfully displayed his skills in the squared circle, marvelling at the sheer precision of his punches, the balance, movement and controlled aggression.
Midway through Magee got a nasty cut and I was star struck at how a man could continue to fight with a cut like that. I was even more surprised when he came over to us lads from the amateur club and had pictures taken with us, gave out t-shirts, and not a worry about his eye.
Now,10 Years on I still marvel at those skills, just wondering if the big break is ever going to be given to a fighter so dedicated to his craft.
Magee’s career has been an up and down affair. Coming from a fabulous amateur background Brian started with a bang in the professional ring, winning is first nine fights by KO, and notching up a 22 fight unbeaten record up until 2004. Then came the big break for Magee, in the shape of Robin Reid at the Kings Hall Belfast. If Magee beat Reid he would have been nailed on to face Joe Calzaghe but that wasn’t to be. Having been knocked down four times, but in my view at ringside only one was a real worthy knockdown, Magee lost a unanimous decision. Many at ringside thought that he still did enough to win the fight seeing as the knockdowns were the only thing Reid did all night having been masterfully out boxed for most of the fight.
Brian had to start again, and he did so with four wins on the trot. Having had a fight with WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe called off at the last minute, Magee then got the chance to fight Carl Froch, a fight if he won would gain Magee a shot at the title. Again though Brian fell at the final hurdle. Having out boxed Carl for much of the fight Froch’s superior punching power finally came to the surface and knocked Brian out in the 11th round.
Looking at such a devastating knockout inflicted on a boxer you idolised for so long, made my heart wrench. looking at Magee motionless on the canvas that it was the end of the road for him.
Since that fight Magee has had nine fights winning eight and drawing a British Title fight with Tony Oakey, in dubious circumstances.
Having taking 14 months out of the ring, Magee was offered a shout away from home at the European Super Middleweight title against, Mads Larsen, I thought that maybe enough was enough.
Having set up a new team with Panamanian head trainer Bernardo Checa, I was nervous sitting down to watch the fight online, However what I saw in the ring that night wasn’t the Magee of old. Fighting more aggressive, dominating and then coldly finishing the champion, Magee made my hair stand up.
This Saturday sees Brian Magee travel back to his amateur home, the National Stadium Dublin for his first defence of the title and what many believe will be a final fight before a world title challenge. First he must get past, Armenian boxer Roman Aramyan, 30-8-0- (20).
Having the experience Magee has and the more aggressive style I see no other ending other than a Magee win. Lets hope that title fight can come soon, to a boxer that deserves it more than any.
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