McGuigan calls for Hall of Fame to induct Irish ‘outlier’
Barry McGuigan believes it’s time ‘outlier’ Deirdre Gogarty was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame.
The former featherweight champion of the world expressed his delight at seeing Jane Couch, a trailblazer in her own right, inducted this week before calling for the Drogheda fighter to be next.
McGuigan, who has been a Hall of Famer since 2005, wants his fellow Irish boxing legend to join him on the roster.
Speaking online the Monaghan native said: “Such great news that @JaneCouchMBE has been inducted into
@BoxingHall this year. I hope that @edbrophyibhof and the committee are looking at @DeirdreLegacy
the first female Irish Professional boxer who won a version of the World Title way back in 1997. Deidre was an outlier.”
Such great news that @JaneCouchMBE has been inducted into @BoxingHall this year. I hope that @edbrophyibhof and the committee are looking at @DeirdreLegacy the first female Irish Professional boxer who won a version of the World Title way back in 1997. Deidre was an outlier.
— Barry McGuigan (@ClonesCyclone) December 13, 2023
Gogarty’s is a boxing innings worth remembering. She was involved in what is deemed the first-ever boxing bout between two women in 1991, albeit an ‘illegal’ and unsanctioned fight at The Shannon Arms in Limerick.
Unable to get a boxing license in Ireland she made the difficult choice to move to the USA and turn professional to chase a World title. This move made the Louth native the first-ever female professional boxer in Ireland and led her to compete in one of the most historic female fights of all time.
Gogarty versus Christy Martin is now a fight of folklore and is deemed the spark that ignited much-needed change for women’s boxing. Chief support to Mike Tyson versus Frank Bruno at the MGM Grand, the entertaining war was the first all-female bout to take place on a PPV boxing card.
Just a year later Gogarty, a hero to Katie Taylor, realized her dream of becoming a world champion by beating Bonnie Canino in Florida on the 2nd of March 1997 for the Featherweight world professional title.
That victory cemented Gogarthy’s legacy in the sport as Ireland’s first female professional boxing world champion as well as Drogheda’s first and only professional boxing world champion.
Since retiring in 1998, the trailblazer has been recognised for her achievements by being inducted into the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame in 2015.
