Lowell's Finest: The 10 Best Boxers from the Fighting Mill City!

[fitefanSHO]

By now, boxing fans around the world know the name Irish Micky Ward and some of those fans might even know that Micky was from Lowell, Massachusetts but what they might not know is that Ward wasn't the only professional boxer to come out of Lowell.

So let's take a trip down Memory Lane in Lowell (far across town from Crack Street) and have a closer look at the ten best professional boxers from the fighting Mill City of Lowell, Massachusetts.



LINK: http://fitefansho.blogspot.com/2011/...xers-from.html

[Boxing Bob]

Ward aside never heard of any of them.

[fitefanSHO]

Which is kinda the point but you never heard of Dickie Eklund, really?

[Yogi]

Jack Halloran's book on Micky Ward called 'Irish Thunder' dedicates a number of the early pages talking about Lowell's boxing history, and pretty much every one of those guys listed are included in it. Some in more detail than others.

Very good book overall too if looking for a really detiled account of Ward, his family, and his fighting career. About 340 pages deep in fact with no photos. Well worth anybody's time.

[JAB5239]

Jack Halloran's book on Micky Ward called 'Irish Thunder' dedicates a number of the early pages talking about Lowell's boxing history, and pretty much every one of those guys listed are included in it. Some in more detail than others.

Very good book overall too if looking for a really detiled account of Ward, his family, and his fighting career. About 340 pages deep in fact with no photos. Well worth anybody's time.

Not a very acclaimed boxing book, but one I enjoyed very much.

As far as fitefans article...thank you. Besides Ward and Ecklund, the only other name I knew was Joe McCreedy because he fought a family friend on a couple of occasions and I've seen him fight before at Foxwoods and Mohegan sun earlier in his career.

Lowell may not have a direct tap into the talent department, but guys who come from there are TOUGH.

[fitefanSHO]

Thanks JAB, and yes indeed they are tough. And they take their boxing history seriously.

[fitefanSHO]

Reader response to this story has been very positive!

Lots of good feedback and it's been well received in Lowell, or so I've been told by those in the know at Ramahlo's Gym. In just a matter of days, the story quickly became the single most viewed article I ever wrote & published on my website, KO Digest. Thanks to everyone who read it, debated it, commented on it, told somebody about it, or otherwise enjoyed it. It definitely got people talking and as the Lowell Golden Gloves approaches in the Mill City, that's a good thing for all the young fighters who see a list like that and dream of someday being included alongside their local heroes.



Planning to do a similar story about Brockton, MA next.

[JAB5239]

Reader response to this story has been very positive!

Lots of good feedback and it's been well received in Lowell, or so I've been told by those in the know at Ramahlo's Gym. In just a matter of days, the story quickly became the single most viewed article I ever wrote & published on my website, KO Digest. Thanks to everyone who read it, debated it, commented on it, told somebody about it, or otherwise enjoyed it. It definitely got people talking and as the Lowell Golden Gloves approaches in the Mill City, that's a good thing for all the young fighters who see a list like that and dream of someday being included alongside their local heroes.



Planning to do a similar story about Brockton, MA next.

How about one on Providence RI?

[fitefanSHO]

Providence huh?

#1 Vinny Paz?

Oh no wait, he's from Cranston.

[JAB5239]

Providence huh?

#1 Vinny Paz?

Oh no wait, he's from Cranston.

Paz is from the Silver lake neighborhood that goes through both Providence and Cranston so you could probably get him in there. There are plenty of other fighters though with the two best besides Paz being George Arujo and Harold Gomes. More recent guys like Manfredo jr., Gary Belletto, Brian Barbosa, Joey Spina, Matt Godfrey, Jason Estrada and Demetrius Andrade. Providence has a colorful boxing history with the old Rhode Island auditorium being host to some of the greatest fighters in history.