קאָלאָראַדאָ ספּרינגס, שויס. (פעברואַר 12, 2018) – “Fightin’ איריש” and Boston boxing has been synonymous for more than a century, since the Irish first started emigrating to the United States in general, Boston in particular, נאָך די Great Potato Famine.

Many Irish and Irish-American boxers have fought in the Greater Boston area, some born and others resettling there. This rich tradition continues next month in a different way when the three-city 2018 USA ווס. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour kicks-off מאָנטיק, מאַרץ 12, at the newly renovated Royale Entertainment Complex in Boston’s famed theater district. The Boston stop, which is being presented by Budweiser, will have general admission tickets for $20.00 and a limited amount of $30.00 reserved tickets go on sale today (מאָנטיק, פעברואר. 12) בייַ 12 פּ.ם. און are available to purchase online here.

The USA vs. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour will continue מאַרץ 15 ביי די מאַססמוטואַל צענטער אין Springfield, מאַסע., concluding מאַרץ 21 at The Manchester Downtown Hotel in New Hampshire.

All the duals will begin at 7:00 פּ.ם. EST און טיקיץ וועט זיין געמאכט בנימצא פֿאַר קויפן אין די קומענדיק וואָכן. יעדער שטאָט וועט וויטרינע אַרויף צו 12 ענדס, which will all be live streamed, פּאָטער פון אָפּצאָל, אויף USA באָקסינג ס וועבזייַטל (www.usaboxing.org).

The tradition started back in the 19^טה century with “The Boston Strongboy,” יוחנן. ל. Sullivan (Roxbury, מאַ), the first millionaire American athlete, as well as the first “gloves” world heavyweight champion and final “bare knuckles” heavyweight champion of the world. An International Boxing Hall of Famer, Sullivan won 38 פון 38 פּראָ פיגהץ, 30 coming by knockout, with only one loss and two draws.

Another Hall-of-Famer from that era, דזשייק קילראַין (29-5-8, 17 קאָס), lived in Somerville and Quincy, both Boston suburbs. Kilrain (1829-1899) also reigned as world heavyweight champion.

Irish boxers from Greater Boston continued this rich tradition through the end of the 19^טה and beginning of the 20^טה centuries with world champions and top contenders such as welterweight Paddy Duffy (31-3,16, 18 קאָס), Lawrence welterweight Mike Glover(Cavanaugh – 30-5-5, 16 קאָס), and Charlestown welterweight מייק “Twin” Sullivan(28-6-16, 17 קאָס), and Newton bantamweight Jimmy Walsh (33-10-20, 14 קאָס)

In the 1950’s, Woburn lightweight “איריש” Tommy Collins (61-12, 44 קאָס) was dropped 10 times at the Boston Garden by world champion Jimmy Carter, until he finally succumbed in the fourth round. His gutsy performance, אָבער, earned him an appearance on the popular Ed Sullivan Show.

Arlington heavyweight Tom McNeeley (37-14, 28 קאָס), unsuccessfully fought for the world title in 1961, stopped in the fourth round of his Toronto fight versus defending champion פלויד Patterson, and McNeeley’s son, Boston-native and later Medfield resident פעטרוס “הוראַגאַן” McNeeley (47-7, 30 קאָס) famously was stopped in the opening round by “ייַזן” מייק טיסאָן in the latter’s first fight after his release from prison.

In the 1980’s, Irish boxers made their way to Boston to fight; some returned home after their careers, others relocated in the area. אין 1984, Ireland-native Sean Mannion (42-14, 13 קאָס), who had moved to the Dorchester section of Boston, lost a 15-round decision in Madison Square Garden to מייק מקקאַללום for the World Boxing Association (וובאַ) Super Middleweight World Championship.

סטיוו “Celtic Warrior” Collins (25-2-1, 18 קאָס) moved to Everett, later to Brockton, to work with Goody און Pat Petronelli, who handled ווונדערלעך מאַרווין האַגלער throughout is Hall of Fame career. Collins captured the World Boxing Organization (וובאָ) middleweight and super middleweight world titles before moving back to Ireland.

Collins’ younger brother, Packie Collins, also moved to Brockton to fight. He later worked with Irish heavyweight champion קעווין “The Clones Colossus” McBride (35-10-1, 29 קאָס), who went on to knock Tyson out and into retirement. McBride, who still lives in Dorchester, was a stablemate of former Team Ireland head coach and current Team USA head coach, בילי וואַלש, at the European Games. Both were also Ireland Olympians, ריספּעקטיוולי, אין 1988 און 1992.

Another Ireland Olympian, Wayne “Pocket Rocket” McCullough (27-7, 18 קאָס), moved to Las Vegas from Northern Ireland. The luck of the Irish wasn’t with him in Boston in 1997, when he lost his World Boxing Council (וובק) bantamweight title at Hynes Convention Center, by way of a 12-round split decision to דניאל זאַראַגאָוזאַ.

Arguably the most famous and popular Irish-American boxer, outside of Sullivan and דזשאַק דעמפּסי, is Lowell junior welterweight “איריש” מיקקי וואַרד (38-13, 27 קאָס), who was involved in three Fight of the Year award winners, two from his epic trilogy with אַרטוראָ גאַטטי, and the first boxer with more than 10 career losses to earn a $1-million purse. Ward’s life was portrayed by another Boston icon, actor Mark Wahlberg, in the award-winning movie, “The Fighter.”

Irish boxers are still coming to Boston to fight. Locally-based Murphys Boxing has promoted numerous shows in Boston featuring world-class boxers such as גערי “נאָגל” אָוסאַלאַוואַן and undefeated super bantamweight TJ “מאַכט” Doheny (18-0, 13 קאָס), as well as undefeated rising stars such as “Sting” Ray Mayotte and New England & Massachusetts heavyweight champion Niall Kennedy (10-0, 6 קאָס).

The Irish team will announce its boxers later this month after the conclusion of its National Championships.

Headlining Team USA’s roster is 2017 וועלט טשאַמפּיאָנשיפּ בראָנדז מעדאַליסט טרוי יסליי(אלעקסאנדריע, וואַ). USA Boxing’s team will also include Virginia Fuchs (Kemah, טעקסאַס), who won four international gold medals in 2017, 2016 יוגנט וועלט טשאַמפּיאָן און 2017 עליט קאָנטינענטאַל טשאַמפּיאָנשיפּס זילבער מעדאַליסט, דעלאַנטע זשאנסאן (קליוולאַנד, טאַקע), 2017 USA Boxing Heavyweight National Champion Jared Anderson (Toledo, טאַקע) און 2016 יוגנט וועלט טשאַמפּיאָנשיפּ בראָנדז מעדאַליסט און 2017 USA באָקסינג יבער כעוויווייט נאַשאַנאַל טשאַמפּיאָן, ריטשארד טאָררעז (Tulare, אַזאַ ווי). א גאַנץ ראַסטער פֿאַר יעדער שטאָט וועט ווערן רעלעאַסעד נעענטער צו די אָנהייב פון די רייַזע.

מאַרץ 12: רויאַל ובידור קאָמפּלעקס, באָסטאָן, מאַסע.

מאַרץ 15: מאַססמוטואַל צענטער, Springfield, מאַסע.

מאַרץ 21: די מאַנטשעסטער דאָוונטאָוון האטעל, מאַנטשעסטער, נ.ה.

אַלע באָקסערס און באַוץ זענען אונטער צו טוישן.