Eamonn Magee
Encyclopedia
Eamonn Magee nicknamed the Terminator (born 13 July 1971 in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
) is a former boxer
who is now a trainer with the Breen Team in Belfast. Magee finished his career at welterweight
but fought as a light welterweight
for the majority of his professional career.
Magee
was a veteran
of the Irish
and European professional fight scenes and fought out of the Breen Gym in Belfast
where he is now assistant trainer to John Breen. Magee is a former Commonwealth
Light Welterweight Title, Irish
Light Welterweight Title and WBU
Welterweight Title holder.
Ardoyne
area of Belfast and was in and out of trouble as a youth. Magee came from a boxing obsessed family, at the age of twelve, Magee's mother enrolled a him in the local boxing club. Magee stated that for his mother "boxing was as important as school". Magee's three older brothers were also boxers with two of them, Terry
and Noel
, having careers as professional boxers. His brother Noel was also a Commonwealth title champion.
In 1989, Magee was involved in a fight outside a restaurant and sustained a deep wound to his neck from which he almost died. In 1992, he was shot in the leg by the Provisional Irish Republican Army
in a punishment attack. In 1994, Magee (who is a supporter of Celtic football club
) was charged with affray after getting into a barroom brawl with a group of Rangers
fans in a Belfast City Centre pub. In February 2004, Magee was attacked in the Blacks Road area of Belfast. He was pulled from his car and beaten with a baseball bat
, he had his leg broken and knee fractured.
In February 2010 he was sentenced to six months imprisonment for assault after head-butting a man in north Belfast.
In June 2010 Magee was jailed for 12 months for an assault on his ex-partner. He was given the maximum sentence for the offence, but was released on bail pending an appeal.
In December 2010 Magee, who is facing charges of breaching a non-molestation order and harassing his ex-partner Maria Magill was arrested and brought back into custody after failing to sign with police on December 28. During the court hearing it was reported that Magee is sometimes forced to “lock himself away from the world” due to mental health problems, depression and anxiety which he has suffered from for a long time. The judge, Mr Justice Weatherup, ruled that Magee could be released again on bail after pointing out that no known attempt had been made to contact Ms Magill.
as an amateur and, like his brother Noel, won a number of Irish national titles and won a silver medal at the World Junior Championships at San Juan
, Puerto Rico
in 1989. In 1991, Magee won the Irish
National Senior light welterweight title.
A disillusioned Magee's outlook on boxing was soured by this experience and he then took a sabbatical from the sport.
based Liverpudlian
Pete Roberts on a card that included Steve Collins
and a debut fight for Dubliner Jim Rock
.
, Northern Ireland
, U.S.
and England
and against a variety of opposition including journeymen such as Steve McGovern, Kevin McKillan and Karl Taylor as well as future NABF Welter and Light Middleweight title holder Teddy Reid. The Reid fight which took place at The Roxy
, Boston
, USA, was Magee's only loss on his early record which tallied to 11 win, 9 within the distance and 1 loss.
for his Commonwealth
Light Welterweight Title in Manchester
, England
on the Mayhem in Manchester bill which included Howard Eastman, Steve Foster
and Clinton Woods
.
Before the fight Magee had stated that Burke was "old, slow journeyman. Paul is the sort who hangs in and takes far more punishment than he should. I'll do him a favour and get it over fast".
The fight went the twelve round distance and Burke beat Magee on a controversial points decision. Magee thought he had been let down badly by the British officials on the night and Chris Eubank
also made his protest known. A journalist who was at ringside stated that it was one of the "most shocking decisions in British boxing history".
Within twelve months Magee had won two fights both by third round stoppages including winning the Irish Light Welterweight Title both the arranged rematch with Burke which was set for the 12 September 1999 at the York Hall, Bethnal Green in London
again for the Commonwealth Light Welterweight Title.
Magee's mind was on revenge and he floored the champion three times in the sixth round before star rated referee Dave Parris stopped the fight with Burke in no condition to continue.
Magee's sights were then set on a fight with Manchester's Ricky Hatton
and continued his winning streak with a further ten straight wins, seven inside the distance, including wins over Kenya's Joseph Miyumo, Shea Neary
and Jonathan Thaxton to line up a super-fight with Hatton.
for the WBU Light Welterweight Title which took place at the Manchester Evening News Arena
in 1 June 2002 and was billed as "Anarchy in the UK" and was a 20,000 ticket sell out.
The fight was one of the most eagerly awaited fights in European boxing for many years and there had been doubts that the fight would ever take place due to the MEN being booked and then an injury to Hatton's knuckle. Also Magee had trouble leading up to the fight when the Panama
nian sparring partners that Magee had paid for were deported from Ireland after they arrived at Dublin Airport
In what Hatton's trainer Billy Graham called Hatton's toughest fight, Magee knocked Hatton down for the first time in his career after only one minute of the fight in round one. Magee against pressurised Hatton in the second round and again Hatton looked shakey and in trouble. However, Hatton battled back keeping Magee on the ropes for much of the remainder of the fight. Magee eventually lost this keenly contested fight on points over 12 rounds.
His most recent fight took place 11 May 2007 and was a unanimous points loss to Kevin Anderson
for the British welterweight title.
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
) is a former boxer
Professional Boxing
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, emerged in the early twentieth century as boxing gradually attained legitimacy and became a regulated, sanctioned sport. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse which is divided among the fighters and promoters as determined by contract...
who is now a trainer with the Breen Team in Belfast. Magee finished his career at welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
but fought as a light welterweight
Light welterweight
-Professional boxing:The light welterweight class is a weight division in professional boxing that has a limit of 63.5 kg or 140 pounds...
for the majority of his professional career.
Magee
Magee (surname)
Magee is an Irish surname. It is uncommon as a given name. People with the name Magee include:* Barry Magee , New Zealand marathon runner* Bryan Magee , British politician, writer and broadcaster...
was a veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
of the Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and European professional fight scenes and fought out of the Breen Gym in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
where he is now assistant trainer to John Breen. Magee is a former Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
Light Welterweight Title, Irish
Irish Amateur Boxing Association
The Irish Amateur Boxing Association is the governing body of amateur boxing in Ireland. It was founded in 1911 following a meeting in Dublin.-Structure:...
Light Welterweight Title and WBU
World Boxing Union
The World Boxing Union is a boxing sanctioning body.Until recently it was fully recognised by the British Boxing Board of Control as a legitimate sanctioning body.WBU titles were particularly well recognised in Europe and Africa....
Welterweight Title holder.
Troubled background
Magee grew up in the nationalistIrish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
Ardoyne
Ardoyne
Ardoyne is an Irish nationalist, working class and mainly Catholic district in north Belfast, Northern Ireland. It gained notoriety due to the large number of incidents during "The Troubles". It is home to approximately 20,000 inhabitants...
area of Belfast and was in and out of trouble as a youth. Magee came from a boxing obsessed family, at the age of twelve, Magee's mother enrolled a him in the local boxing club. Magee stated that for his mother "boxing was as important as school". Magee's three older brothers were also boxers with two of them, Terry
Terry Magee
Terry Magee is a former professional boxer. Magee, the older brother of Eamonn and Noel, fought at Light Middleweight but also fought at heavier weights towards the end of his career.-Background:...
and Noel
Noel Magee
Noel Magee is a former professional boxer and former Commonwealth light heavyweight Title holder...
, having careers as professional boxers. His brother Noel was also a Commonwealth title champion.
In 1989, Magee was involved in a fight outside a restaurant and sustained a deep wound to his neck from which he almost died. In 1992, he was shot in the leg by the Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
in a punishment attack. In 1994, Magee (who is a supporter of Celtic football club
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
) was charged with affray after getting into a barroom brawl with a group of Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
fans in a Belfast City Centre pub. In February 2004, Magee was attacked in the Blacks Road area of Belfast. He was pulled from his car and beaten with a baseball bat
Baseball bat
A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the game of baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. It is no more than 2.75 inches in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches in length. It typically weighs no more than 33 ounces , but it...
, he had his leg broken and knee fractured.
In February 2010 he was sentenced to six months imprisonment for assault after head-butting a man in north Belfast.
In June 2010 Magee was jailed for 12 months for an assault on his ex-partner. He was given the maximum sentence for the offence, but was released on bail pending an appeal.
In December 2010 Magee, who is facing charges of breaching a non-molestation order and harassing his ex-partner Maria Magill was arrested and brought back into custody after failing to sign with police on December 28. During the court hearing it was reported that Magee is sometimes forced to “lock himself away from the world” due to mental health problems, depression and anxiety which he has suffered from for a long time. The judge, Mr Justice Weatherup, ruled that Magee could be released again on bail after pointing out that no known attempt had been made to contact Ms Magill.
Amateur Record
The southpaw boxed for IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
as an amateur and, like his brother Noel, won a number of Irish national titles and won a silver medal at the World Junior Championships at San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
in 1989. In 1991, Magee won the Irish
Irish Amateur Boxing Association
The Irish Amateur Boxing Association is the governing body of amateur boxing in Ireland. It was founded in 1911 following a meeting in Dublin.-Structure:...
National Senior light welterweight title.
Barcelona Olympics nomination controversy
Because of his Irish title win, Magee should have automatically been nominated as the Irish entrant for the qualification tournament for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics however, a number of members from the Ulster Boxing Council abstained from voting for his nomination and this led to the Irish (IABA) selection team requesting that Magee fight a preliminary fight against Corkman Billy Walsh, a boxer whom he had already beaten to win the Irish title. In protest, Magee then turned down the chance to box off for the place at the Barcelona Olympics as he felt he was the automatic choice.A disillusioned Magee's outlook on boxing was soured by this experience and he then took a sabbatical from the sport.
Debut
Magee turned professional in November 1995, winning his first fight at the Point Depot, in which he knocked out HullKingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
based Liverpudlian
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
Pete Roberts on a card that included Steve Collins
Steve Collins
Stephen Collins, more commonly known as Steve Collins, is a former professional boxer. Known as the "The Celtic Warrior", Collins is the former WBO middleweight and super middleweight champion....
and a debut fight for Dubliner Jim Rock
Jim Rock
Jim Rock, nicknamed the Pink Panther, is an Irish professional boxer and current IBC middleweight and Irish super middleweight champion....
.
Early fights
Magee's first twelve fights took place in a variety of locations such as the Republic of IrelandRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and against a variety of opposition including journeymen such as Steve McGovern, Kevin McKillan and Karl Taylor as well as future NABF Welter and Light Middleweight title holder Teddy Reid. The Reid fight which took place at The Roxy
The Roxy
The Roxy was a fashionable nightclub on Neal Street in London's Covent Garden, known for hosting the flowering British punk music scene in its infancy.-Brief history:...
, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, USA, was Magee's only loss on his early record which tallied to 11 win, 9 within the distance and 1 loss.
Paul Burke Commonwealth title fights
Magee's chance to fight for his first title belt took place in 30 November 1998 when he challenged challenged experienced Preston based fighter Paul BurkePaul Burke (boxer)
Paul Burke is a former professional boxer from England, who competed in the lightweight and light welterweight divisions . His career was overshadowed by the death of one of his opponents, Felix Bwalya from Zambia. The pair met on December 13, 1997 in Lusaka for the Vacant Commonwealth Light...
for his Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
Light Welterweight Title in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on the Mayhem in Manchester bill which included Howard Eastman, Steve Foster
Steve Foster
Stephen "Steve" Brian Foster is a former English football player, famed for wearing a headband and having one of the greatest beards in football.-Football career:...
and Clinton Woods
Clinton Woods
Clinton Woods , is a retired professional boxer from Sheffield, England. He is the former IBF, European, British, & Commonwealth light heavyweight champion....
.
Before the fight Magee had stated that Burke was "old, slow journeyman. Paul is the sort who hangs in and takes far more punishment than he should. I'll do him a favour and get it over fast".
The fight went the twelve round distance and Burke beat Magee on a controversial points decision. Magee thought he had been let down badly by the British officials on the night and Chris Eubank
Chris Eubank
Chris Eubank, Lord of the Manor of Brighton is a retired British boxer who held world titles at middleweight and super middleweight...
also made his protest known. A journalist who was at ringside stated that it was one of the "most shocking decisions in British boxing history".
Within twelve months Magee had won two fights both by third round stoppages including winning the Irish Light Welterweight Title both the arranged rematch with Burke which was set for the 12 September 1999 at the York Hall, Bethnal Green in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
again for the Commonwealth Light Welterweight Title.
Magee's mind was on revenge and he floored the champion three times in the sixth round before star rated referee Dave Parris stopped the fight with Burke in no condition to continue.
Magee's sights were then set on a fight with Manchester's Ricky Hatton
Ricky Hatton
Richard John Hatton MBE, more commonly known as Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton, , is a former British professional boxer, and currently a promoter....
and continued his winning streak with a further ten straight wins, seven inside the distance, including wins over Kenya's Joseph Miyumo, Shea Neary
Shea Neary
Shea "The Shamrock Express" Neary is a former light welterweight boxer.-Pro Career:Neary posted a 23-2 record during his professional career, including 16 knockouts. In 1995, he won his first title by beating Nigel Bradley at the Everton Park Sports Centre to claim the Central Area Light...
and Jonathan Thaxton to line up a super-fight with Hatton.
Hatton fight
Magee's highest profile fight was against Ricky HattonRicky Hatton
Richard John Hatton MBE, more commonly known as Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton, , is a former British professional boxer, and currently a promoter....
for the WBU Light Welterweight Title which took place at the Manchester Evening News Arena
Manchester Evening News Arena
The Manchester Evening News Arena is an indoor arena situated in Manchester, England. It is adjacent to Manchester Victoria station near Corporation Street...
in 1 June 2002 and was billed as "Anarchy in the UK" and was a 20,000 ticket sell out.
The fight was one of the most eagerly awaited fights in European boxing for many years and there had been doubts that the fight would ever take place due to the MEN being booked and then an injury to Hatton's knuckle. Also Magee had trouble leading up to the fight when the Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
nian sparring partners that Magee had paid for were deported from Ireland after they arrived at Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
In what Hatton's trainer Billy Graham called Hatton's toughest fight, Magee knocked Hatton down for the first time in his career after only one minute of the fight in round one. Magee against pressurised Hatton in the second round and again Hatton looked shakey and in trouble. However, Hatton battled back keeping Magee on the ropes for much of the remainder of the fight. Magee eventually lost this keenly contested fight on points over 12 rounds.
His most recent fight took place 11 May 2007 and was a unanimous points loss to Kevin Anderson
Kevin Anderson (boxer)
Kevin Anderson is a British professional boxer who fights in the welterweight division. He is a former British and Commonwealth champion.-Early professional career:...
for the British welterweight title.