Barney Eastwood was Mr. Boxing in Belfast

Published

5 years ago

March 10, 2020

Barney-Eastwood-was-Mr-Boxing-in-Belfast

Tributes are pouring in for Barney Eastwood, the former bookmaker who built a boxing dynasty in Belfast during the height of the Troubles, the conflict between Protestants and Catholics that plagued Northern Ireland for more than three decades. Eastwood guided the careers of five fighters who became world champions, most notably Barry McGuigan, a national hero, revered by both factions. Eastwood, who would have turned 88 later this month, died peacefully in his hospital bed on Monday, March 9.

Eastwood left school at age 15, married at age 19, and was in his early 20’s when he purchased an ale house in Carrickfergus, near Belfast, with a small inheritance from his mother.

The town had only one betting shop and the proprietor kept banking hours. Those with winning wagers usually had to wait until the next day to collect their winnings.

Eastwood would redeem winning tickets from his regular customers, saving them the inconvenience of returning to the betting shop the next day. Soon he started booking their action there in the pub which frequently got him in trouble with the authorities as he was operating without a license.

He eventually got a license and built a chain of betting shops which grew into the largest chain in Northern Ireland, 54 at the peak, which he sold to British bookmaking behemoth Ladbrokes in 2008. With the money he started a new career as a real estate developer.

A good Gaelic Football player in his teens, Eastwood fell in love with sports at an early age. There was a U.S. Army base on the outskirts of his hometown of Cookstown and the soldiers held tournaments and occasionally put on exhibitions for local schoolchildren. Eastwood was fascinated and although he never competed in the squared circle beyond a few amateur fights, boxing would become his passion.

In Belfast, Eastwood began promoting club fights at venerable Ulster Hall. Although the city was torn apart by sectarian strife, things were copacetic inside the arena. “There was never any trouble,” reminisced Eastwood in a conversation with Geoffrey Beattie of the London Guardian. “The Belfast crowd are very, very hard; they’re boxing fanatics and they’re tough, but they’ll acclaim a good fighter regardless of religion.”

In time he opened a boxing gym above one of his betting shops, a gym that became well-known throughout the global boxing community. Eastwood didn’t skimp when it came to hiring sparring partners. Venezuelan welterweight Crisanto Espana and Panamanian super middleweight Victor Cordoba came there to spar, took up residence in the city, and became world title-holders under Eastwood’s management. His other world champions, other than McGuigan, were featherweight Paul Hodkinson and flyweight Dave McCauley. But he never could get over the hump with super middleweight Ray Close, who twice came close to upending Chris Eubank in world title fights, or with Herol “Bomber” Graham, arguably his most talented fighter. During his association with Eastwood, Graham came up short in two stabs at the middleweight title, losing to future Hall of Famers Mike McCallum and Julian Jackson.

Barry McGuigan’s defeat of long-reigning featherweight champion Eusebio Pedroza will likely always remain the most glorious day in the history of boxing in Ireland. At the conclusion of the match, held at a soccer stadium in London, there were spontaneous celebrations. “From Dublin to Belfast,” said an Associated Press story, “thousands of fans took to the streets, chanting, singing, carrying banners and parading to the sound of honking car horns.”

McGuigan made two successful defenses on Irish soil before heading off to the United States for a match with Argentina’s Fernando Sosa at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. To acclimate himself to the desert heat, McGuigan trained in Palm Springs.

The match fell out when Sosa broke a finger in training. Rather than postpone the match until Sosa’s injury was healed, Eastwood consented to let Stevie Cruz fill the breach. A plumber’s assistant from Fort Worth, Texas, Cruz seemingly posed no threat.

McGuigan vs. Cruz was held on June 23, 1986. One of three featured bouts, the match started early as a concession to British television. The temperature at ringside was 109 degrees. It was a 15-round fight and McGuigan fell apart in the homestretch, losing a close but unanimous decision in what would be named The Ring magazine Fight of the Year.

The Eastwood-McGuigan partnership dissolved shortly thereafter and it was a very acrimonious divorce. Eastwood claimed that he first noticed McGuigan in a three-round amateur fight that he lost. ‘We built him up out of nothing,” he said. “I found him in a little village working for his mother in a grocer’s shop and earned him more money than any fighter in the history of British boxing.” But McGuigan, who bolted Eastwood for Frank Warren, claimed that he didn’t get all the money owed him and took Eastwood to court to invalidate his contract.

Eastwood lost this battle, it cost him a bundle, but he won the rematch. Years later, McGuigan would claim that Eastwood concealed pre-fight injuries to let the fight with Stevie Cruz go forward. Eastwood sued him for slander and won a substantial settlement.

Eastwood also won a judgment against fellow promoter Mickey Duff, an occasional collaborator but more often a rival. In his 2010 autobiography, Duff, who died in 2014, claimed that Eastwood paid him $100,000 to get McGuigan to drop his lawsuit which was settled out of court. Eastwood sued Mickey Duff for slander and was awarded damages. (Compared to the United States, the courts in the U.K. tend to be far more generous toward plaintiffs in cases involving defamation of character. The entertainer Liberace sued the British tabloid Daily Mirror over a 1956 article that intimated that he was gay and won a handsome sum.)

Although he was a hard negotiator, Barney Eastwood had more in common with old-time fight managers like Tom O’Rourke and Doc Kearns than with contemporaries like Bob Arum and Don King. Eastwood was hands-on, a manager/promoter who was also frequently a cornerman.

In the corner he was a great motivator. “Barney…made you believe that you could do things that others thought you had no chance of doing,” the aforementioned Dave McCauley told David Kelly of the Belfast Telegraph. “I would have never become world champion without him.”

“To be a bookie,” Eastwood once said, “you have to have a lot of nerve. Everybody has this idea that the bookie always wins. That’s nonsense.”

Boxing was a reflection of Eastwood’s risk-taking personality as were horseracing and greyhound racing, the other sports in which he was seriously involved. And not all of his real estate investments panned out. In 2012, some of his holdings were repossessed by the bank.

“The boxing world is not for the faint-hearted,” wrote David Kelly in his memoriam. “(Eastwood) had the financial clout, the pugilistic knowledge and cunning to make sure his fighters had an edge.” To this we would add that a close look at the resume of Eastwood’s top fighters, including domestic champions like Hugh Russell, a Lonsdale Belt winner, inform us that virtually all of them left the sport after a relatively short run. Whatever his faults, it redounds to Barney Eastwood’s credit that he never milked a fighter with a marketable name for more money once the fighter’s skills had frayed.

Eastwood is survived by his wife of 68 years, six children, 23 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. We here at The Sweet Science send our condolences to his loved ones.

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Arne K. Lang

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Skylar Lacy Blocked for Lamar Jackson before Making his Mark in Boxing

Published

3 days ago

January 19, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Skylar Lacy, a six-foot-seven heavyweight, returns to the ring on Sunday, Feb. 2, opposing Brandon Moore on a card in Flint, Michigan, airing worldwide on DAZN.

As this is being written, the bookmakers hadn’t yet posted a line on the bout, but one couldn’t be accused of false coloring by calling the 10-round contest a 50/50 fight. And if his frustrating history is any guide, Lacy will have another draw appended to his record or come out on the wrong side of a split decision.

This should not be construed as a tip to wager on Moore. “Close fights just don’t seem to go my way,” says the boxer who played alongside future multi-year NFL MVP Lamar Jackson at the University of Louisville.

A 2021 National Golden Gloves champion, Skylar Lacy came up short in his final amateur bout, losing a split decision to future U.S. Olympian Joshua Edwards. His last Team Combat League assignment resulted in another loss by split decision and he was held to a draw in both instances when stepping up in class as a pro. “In my mind, I’m still undefeated,” says Lacy (8-0-2, 6 KOs). “No one has ever kicked my ass.”

Lacy was the B-side in both of those draws, the first coming in a 6-rounder against Top Rank fighter Antonio Mireles on a Top Rank show in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and the second in an 8-rounder against George Arias, a Lou DiBella fighter on a DiBella-promoted card in Philadelphia.

Lacy had the Mireles fight in hand when he faded in the homestretch. The altitude was a factor. Lake Tahoe, Nevada (officially Stateline) sits 6,225 feet above sea level. The fight with Arias took an opposite tack. Lacy came on strong after a slow start to stave off defeat.

Skylar will be the B-side once again in Michigan. The card’s promoter, former world title challenger Dmitriy Salita, inked Brandon Moore (16-1, 10 KOs) in January. “A capable American heavyweight with charisma, athleticism and skills is rare in today’s day and age. Brandon has got all these ingredients…”, said Salita in the press release announcing the signing. (Salita has an option on Skylar Lacy’s next pro fight in the event that Skylar should win, but the promoter has a larger investment in Moore who was previously signed to Top Rank, a multi-fight deal that evaporated after only one fight.)

Both Lacy and Moore excelled in other sports. The six-foot-six Moore was an outstanding basketball player in high school in Fort Lauderdale and at the NAIA level in college. Lacy was an all-state football lineman in Indiana before going on to the University of Louisville where he started as an offensive guard as a redshirt sophomore, blocking for freshman phenom Lamar Jackson. “Lamar was hard-working and humble,” says Lacy about the player who is now one of the world’s highest-paid professional athletes.

When Lacy committed to Louisville, the head coach was Charlie Strong who went on to become the head coach at the University of Texas. Lacy was never comfortable with Strong’s successor Bobby Petrino and transferred to San Jose State. Having earned his degree in only three years (a BA in communications) he was eligible immediately but never played a down because of injuries.

Returning to Indianapolis where he was raised by his truck dispatcher father, a single parent, Lacy gravitated to Pat McPherson’s IBG (Indy Boxing and Grappling) Gym on the city’s east side where he was the rare college graduate pounding the bags alongside at-risk kids from the city’s poorer neighborhoods.

Lacy built a 12-6 record across his two seasons in Team Combat League while representing the Las Vegas Hustle (2023) and the Boston Butchers (2024).

For the uninitiated, a Team Combat League (TCL) event typically consists of 24 fights, each consisting of one three-minute round. The concept finds no favor with traditionalists, but Lacy is a fan. It’s an incentive for professional boxers to keep in shape between bouts without disturbing their professional record and, notes Lacy, it’s useful in exposing a competitor to different styles.

“It paid the bills and kept me from just sitting around the house,” says Lacy whose 12-6 record was forged against 13 different opponents.

As a sparring partner, Lacy has shared the ring with some of the top heavyweights of his generation, e.g., Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. He was one of Fury’s regular sparring partners during the Gypsy King’s trilogy with Deontay Wilder. He worked with Joshua at Derrick James’ gym in Dallas and at Ben Davison’s gym in England, helping Joshua prepare for his date in Saudi Arabia with Francis Ngannou and had previously sparred with Ngannou at the UFC Performance Center in Las Vegas. Skylar names traveling to new places as one of his hobbies and he got to scratch that itch when he joined Whyte’s camp in Portugal.

As to the hardest puncher he ever faced, he has no hesitation: “Ngannou,” he says. “I negotiated a nice price to spend a week in his camp and the first time he hit me I knew I should have asked for more.”

Lacy is confident that having shared the ring with some of the sport’s elite heavyweights will get him over the hump in what will be his first 10-rounder (Brandon Moore has never had to fight beyond eight rounds, having won his three 10-rounders inside the distance). Lacy vs. Moore is the co-feature to Claressa Shields’ homecoming fight with Danielle Perkins. Shields, basking in the favorable reviews accorded the big-screen biopic based on her first Olympic journey (“The Fire Inside”) will attempt to capture a title in yet another weight class at the expense of the 42-year-old Perkins, a former professional basketball player.

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Mizuki Hiruta Dominates in her U.S. Debut and Omar Trinidad Wins Too at Commerce

Published

4 days ago

January 18, 2025

David A. Avila

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Japan’s Mizuki Hiruta smashed through Mexico’s Maribel Ramirez with ease in winning by technical decision and local hero Omar Trinidad continued his assault on the featherweight division on Friday.

Hiruta (7-0, 2 KOs), who prefers to be called “Mimi,” made her American debut with an impressive performance against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez (15-11-4) and retained the WBO super flyweight world title by unanimous decision at Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

The pink-haired Japanese southpaw champion quickly proved to be quicker, stronger and even better than advertised. In the opening round Ramirez landed on the floor twice after throwing errant blows. On one instance, it could have been ruled a knockdown but it was not a convincing blow.

In the second round, Ramirez again attacked and again was met with a Hiruta check right hook and down went the Mexican. This time referee Ray Corona gave the eight-count and the fight resumed.

It was Hiruta’s third title defense but this time it was on American soil. She seemed nervous by the prospect of getting a favorable review from the more than 700 fans inside the casino tent.

For more than a year Hiruta has been training off and on with Manny Robles in the L.A. area. Now that she has a visa, she has spent considerable time this year learning the tricks of the trade. They proved explosively effective.

Though Mexico City’s Ramirez has considerable experience against world champions, she discovered that Hiruta was not easy to hit. Often, the Japanese champion would slip and counter with precision.

It was an impressive American debut, though the fight was stopped in the eighth round after a collision of heads. The scores were tallied and all three saw Hiruta the winner by scores of 80-71 twice and 79-72.

“I’m so happy. I could have done much more,” said Hiruta through interpreter Yuriko Miyata. “I wanted to do more things that Manny Robles taught me.”

Trinidad Wins Too

Omar Trinidad (18-0-1, 13 KOs) discovered that challenger Mike Plania (31-5, 18 KOs) has a very good chin and staying power. But over 10 rounds Trinidad proved to be too fast and too busy for the Filipino challenger.

Immediately it was evident that the East L.A. featherweight was too quick and too busy for Plania who preferred a counter-puncher attack that never worked.

“He was strong,” said Trinidad. “He took everything.”

After 10 redundant rounds all three judges scored for Trinidad 100-90 twice and 99-91. He retains the WBC Continental Americas title.

Other Bouts

Ali Akhmedov (23-1, 17 KOs) blasted out Malcolm Jones (17-5-1) in less than two rounds. A dozen punches by Akhmedov forced referee Thomas Taylor to stop the super middleweight fight.

Iyana “Roxy” Verduzco (3-0) bloodied Lindsey Ellis in the first round and continued the speedy assault in the next two rounds. Referee Ray Corona saw enough and stopped the fight in favor of Verduzco at 1:34 of the third round.

Gloria Munguilla (7-1) and Brook Sibrian (5-2) lit up the boxing ring with a nonstop clash for eight rounds in their light flyweight fight. Munguilla proved effective with a slip-and-counter attack. Sibrian adjusted and made the fight closer in the last four rounds but all three judges favored Munguilla.

More Winners

Joshua Anton, Tayden Beltran, Adan Palma, and Alexander Gueche all won their bouts.

Photos credit: Al Applerose

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Published

6 days ago

January 16, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Best wishes to the survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires that took place last week and are still ongoing in small locales.

Most of the heavy damage took place in the western part of L.A. near the ocean due to Santa Ana winds. Another very hot spot was in Altadena just north of the Rose Bowl. It was a horrific tragedy.

Hopefully the worst is over.

Pro boxing returns with 360 Boxing Promotions spotlighting East L.A.’s Omar Trinidad (17-0-1, 13 KOs) defending a regional featherweight title against Mike Plania (31-4, 18 KOs) on Friday, Jan. 17, at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

“I’m the king of L.A. boxing and I’ll be ready to put on a show headlining again in the main event. This is my year, I’m ready to challenge and defeat any of the featherweight world champions,” said Trinidad.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the Hollywood Night fight card that includes a female world championship fight and other intriguing match-ups.

Tom Loeffler heads 360 Promotions and once again comes full force with a hot prospect in Trinidad. If you’re not familiar with Loeffler’s history of success, he introduced America to Oleksandr Usyk, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and the brothers Wladimir and Vitaly Kltischko.

“We’ve got a wealth of international talent and local favorites to kick off our 2025 in grand style,” said Loeffler.

He knows talent.

Trinidad hails from the Boyle Heights area of East L.A. near the Los Angeles riverbed. Several fighters from the past came from that exact area including the first Golden Boy, Art Aragon.

Aragon was a huge gate attraction during the late 1940s until 1960. He was known as a lady’s man and dated several Hollywood starlets in his time. Though he never won a world title he did fight world champions Carmen Basilio, Jimmy Carter and Lauro Salas. He was more or less the king of the Olympic Auditorium and Los Angeles boxing during his career.

Other famous boxers from the Boyle Heights area were notorious gangster Mickey Cohen and former world champion Joey Olivo.

Can Trinidad reach world title status?

Facing Trinidad will be Filipino fighter Plania who’s knocked off a couple of prospects during his career including Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer and Giovanni Gutierrez. The fighter from General Santos in the Philippines can crack and hold his own in the boxing ring.

It’s a very strong fight card and includes WBO world titlist Mizuki Hiruta of Japan who defends the super flyweight title against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez. It’s a tough matchup for Hiruta who makes her American debut. You can’t miss her with that pink hair and she has all the physical tools to make a splash in this country.

Mizukii Hiruta

Two other female bouts are also planned, including light flyweight banger L.A.’s Gloria Munguilla (6-1) against Coachella’s Brook Sibrian (5-1) in a match set for six rounds. Both are talented fighters. Another female fight includes super featherweights Iyana “Right Hook Roxy” Verduzco (2-0) versus Lindsey Ellis (2-1) in another six-rounder. Ellis can crack with all her wins coming via knockout. Verduzco is a multi-national titlist as an amateur.

Others scheduled to perform are Ali Akhmedov, Joshua Anton, Adan Palma and more.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

Boxing and the Media

The sport of professional boxing is currently in flux. It’s always in flux but no matter what people may say or write, boxing will survive.

Whether you like Jake Paul or not, he proved boxing has worldwide appeal with monstrous success in his last show. He has media companies looking at the numbers and imagining what they can do with the sport.

Sure, UFC is negotiating a massive billion dollar deal with media companies, as is WWE, both are very similar in that they provide combat entertainment. You don’t need to know the champions because they really don’t matter. Its about the attractions.

Boxing is different. The good champions last and build a following that endures even beyond their careers a la Mike Tyson.

MMA can’t provide that longevity, but it does provide entertainment.

Currently, there is talk of establishing a boxing league again. It’s been done over and over but we shall see if it sticks this time.

Pro boxing is the true warrior’s path and that means a solo adventure. It’s a one-on-one sport and that appeals to people everywhere. It’s the oldest sport that can be traced to prehistoric times. You don’t need classes in Brazilian Jiujitsu, judo, kick boxing or wrestling. Just show up in a boxing gym and they can put you to work.

It’s a poor person’s path that can lead to better things and most importantly discipline.

Photos credit: Lina Baker

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