Stateside: Irish Danny Bringing Boxing Back To Boston
By Paddy Appleton
Danny O’Connor is a man on the move; the Framingham fighter announced his next fight yesterday alongside Irish-American punk band The Dropkick Murphys.
The Irish-American southpaw will be fighting on May 24th in Boston on a bill that will showcase Boston boxers versus New York boxers in each match-up.
The charity event for the Claddagh Fund will be the first boxing event in Boston this year and O’Connor hopes the first of many.
There will also be live entertainment and O’Connor is proud to be bringing his boxing to Boston.
“We plan to bring the sport of boxing back to Boston,” O’Connor said. “It saddens me that boxing has fallen off the map.
“There have been so many great fighters; Mickey Ward, Rocky Marciano, Marvelous Marvin Hagler. I’m honored to lead the charge to bring it back.”
O’Connor has been working tirelessly to improve the people’s knowledge of him and he sees the partnership with the Dropkick Murphys as just that.
“I plan to be a household name not only in America, but outside the USA like Ireland which I have a strong connection with. I want Irish fight fans to follow me in my quest to become a world champion.
“This recent partnership with the Dropkick Murphys will ensure that we work as a team to make the Danny O’Connor brand huge. They are a great help and I owe them a lot.”
It is a strange pairing on first glance but the Dropkick Murphys seem happy to help O’Connor and yesterday’s announcement was during a planned gig by the band.
During the gig they announced the fight as well as having Danny O’Connor merchandise available and fight tickets.
It is an interesting ploy from Team O’Connor and they must be commended on their shrewd business.
The Massachusetts man is intent on supplying his brand as far and wide as he can, and when we caught up with him we asked who inspired him as an athlete.
He mentioned his sporting heroes to us, and unsurprisingly two fantastic Irish boxers of recent years cropped up in his answers.
“I’m a big fan of Andy Lee. I had the chance to meet him and not only is he a wonderful boxer he’s a great guy too.
“I was a big fan of Duddy as well, he really got the crowd going over here and I use him as a reference point.
“My biggest role model though would have to be Ricky Hatton. I love Ricky and I’ve been a follower of him since the second I put on gloves. He was one of the best.
“Outside of boxing I really respect Michael Jordan (Ex-Chicago Bulls) and Joshua Hamilton (Texas Rangers Outfielder), Jordan just had an extreme mental toughness and his work ethic inspires me every day.”
Danny O’Connor’s show in May will be a cracker in Boston; it may be the start of a renewal of boxing in the proud city that spawned such greats.
The Irish-American light welterweight will be doing his utmost to ensure Boston boxing is put firmly back on the map.
