Derek Roche (born 19 July 1972) is an Irish former
professional boxer
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory auth ...
who competed from 1994 to 2004. He challenged once for the
IBO super welterweight
Light middleweight, also known as junior middleweight or super welterweight,PeBoxRec/ref> is a weight class in boxing but also may include other combat sports.
Boxing
The light middleweight division (also known as junior middleweight in the IBF o ...
title in 2000. At regional level, he held the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term ''welterweight'' was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...
title from 1999 to 2000.
Roche turned professional in September 1994, winning his first fight in
Bradford
Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...
,
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, in which Roche knocked out
Doncaster
Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...
southpaw Michael Alexander in the final round of a six-round fight on the undercard of a card that included Terrace Gaskin.
Roche lived and fought out of
Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
in England for the majority of his professional career.
Roach was undefeated in 22 fights, until he fought Harry Dhami in 2000 who took the title and the undefeated record off him, and also knocked him down 5 times.
See also
*
List of British welterweight boxing champions
List of British welterweight boxing champions is a table showing the Boxing, boxers who have won the British welterweight title. The title has been sanctioned by the National Sporting Club since 1909, and later by its replacement British Boxing Bo ...
References
External links
*
1972 births
Boxers from County Wexford
Living people
Irish male boxers
Welterweight boxers
{{Ireland-boxing-bio-stub