On This Day: October 17th

2015: While he did not know it at the time, Eamonn O’Kane put on a valiant performance in what was his final professional fight.

The Derry middleweight took on Bahamanian Tureano Johnson in an IBF World title final eliminator at Madison Square Garden.

The fight was part of the Gennady Golovkin v David Lemieux pay-per-view World title unification undercard, with the winners of the two bouts intended to face each other.

King Kane would lose widely on the night (scorecards: 109-117 x2, 108-118), but recovered from two first round knockdowns to last the distance and push Johnson all the way.

O’Kane won a lot of admirers on the night and intended to continue fighting, with an all-Irish clash with Spike O’Sullivan mooted, but a neck injury would see the 2010 Commonwealth gold medalist retire this year at the age of 34 with a final record of 14(5)-2(1)-1.