Kevin MCBRIDE

A winner of Irish junior, intermediate and senior championships in successive years, Kevin McBride was still a teenager at the time of the Barcelona Games. Outclassed in his only Olympic bout, he took the decision to leave the amateur ranks and made his professional debut in December 1992. After being held to a draw in his first fight, he won his next nineteen against very weak opposition before being knocked out by the journeyman Louis Monaco. McBride won the Irish heavyweight title in 1997 but was then knocked out in three of his next seven fights. A run of victories gave him enough credibility to be chosen as an opponent for a Mike Tyson comeback fight. McBride, nearly overpowered in the early rounds, recovered and emerged victorious when Tyson retired before the start of the 7th round. A possible shot at the world title was derailed when he was stopped by the unheralded Mike Mollo in 2006. Although he has not officially announced his retirement he has not fought since being badly defeated by Andrzej Gołota. This fight brought his record to 34 wins, 6 defeats and a draw.