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Steve McCarthy (30 July 1962 – 30 June 2017) was a British former boxer who had been British light heavyweight champion in 1990.

Career

Southampton local McCarthy began his professional career in February 1987 with a win over Russell Burnett. He was unbeaten in his first 10 fights, which included a win over Serg Fame in November 1988 to take the BBBofC Southern Area light heavyweight title at Applemore Recreation Centre, and a points victory over former Belgian Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight championYves Monsieur.

Highly rated and tipped for potential stardom, he suffered his first defeat in September 1989 to Tony Wilson in an eliminator for the English title at Southampton Guildhall, in one of boxing's most unusual fights. Entering the fight as the underdog against the former British Champion, McCarthy dominated the opening stanzas proceeding to knock Wilson down in the third round and was looking to finish the fight with Wilson pinned on the ropes. The fight was stopped when Wilson's 62-year-old mother climbed into the ring and started attacking McCarthy with her shoe, and Wilson's corner man also entered the ring. McCarthy believed he had won and left the ring, but bizarrely referee Adrian Morgan insisted that the fight should continue. McCarthy refused (the injury caused by Wilson's mother required four stitches) and Wilson was declared the winner by technical knockout. A riot ensued and Wilson's mother had to be dragged from the ring by her hair by a security guard; McCarthy returned to the ring but only to calm the crowd. A BBBofC enquiry upheld the result but ordered a rematch, but McCarthy pulled out, suffering from flu.

McCarthy's next fight came in October 1990 at Battersea Town Hall in a rematch against Fame for the British light-heavyweight title vacated by Tom Collins; McCarthy won on points to become British champion in what was dubbed as a "masterclass" from the new British Champion.

McCarthy suffered his first defeat at the hands of another boxer in April 1992 when he was disqualified in the ninth round against German Olympic gold medallist Henry Maske in Düsseldorf. He also lost via disqualification to Dariusz Michalczewski in Hamburg in September that year. In April 1993 he was stopped by Simon Harris in the fifth round, and he finished his career in February 1994 with a points win over Karl Barwise.

References

1. "British Boxer's Mom Takes Bout Into Her Own Hands", Jet, 16 October 1989, pp. 52-53. Retrieved 12 March 2015
2. "September 21 Down the Years: A Sad Day for Boxing", ESPN. Retrieved 12 March 2015
3. "Boxer's Mother Attacks Opponent With Shoe", Lodi News-Sentinel, 23 September 1989, p. 12. Retrieved 12 March 2015
4. "SPORTS PEOPLE: BOXING; Victory Is Upheld", The New York Times, 13 October 1989. Retrieved 12 March 2015
5. "Boxer Who Lost to Opponent's Mother Pulls Out of Rematch", Los Angeles Times, 14 November 1989. Retrieved 12 March 2015
6. "Sporting Digest:Boxing", The Independent, 15 April 1992. Retrieved 12 March 2015

External links

• Career record at boxrec.com

• 1962 births
• 2017 deaths
• English male boxers
• Light-heavyweight boxers
• Sportspeople from Southampton
• 20th-century English sportsmen