Geoff McCreesh
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Geoff McCreesh (born 12 June 1970) is an English former boxer who won the British
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 in 1997 and went on to fight for European and World titles.


Career

Born in Billingham, Stockton on Tees and based in
Bracknell Bracknell () is a town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, the westernmost area within the Greater London Built-up Area, Greater London Urban Area and the administrative centre of the borough of Bracknell Forest. It lies to the east of Re ...
, McCreesh had a moderately successful amateur career before turning professional, winning three Home Counties ABA title between 1989 and 1991, and reaching the ABA final only to be beaten by
Joe Calzaghe Joseph William Calzaghe ( ; born 23 March 1972) is a Welsh former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2008. He held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including unified and lineal titles at super-middleweight, and ...
.Mullan, Harry (1997)
Boxing: Poignant night for McCreesh
, ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', 27 July 1997. Retrieved 11 October 2015
In 1990 his ABA quarter final against Robert McCracken in Birmingham ended prematurely when he was disqualified for leaving the ring to join in a brawl that had started among the two fighters' families. McCreesh made his professional debut in February 1994, beating fellow debutante Tony Walton on points. After winning his first seven fights he beat Clay O'Shea in January 1995 to take the vacant BBBofC Southern Area
light middleweight 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 Intern ...
title. He suffered his first professional defeat in his next fight two months later, retiring in the fifth round against Dennis Berry after suffering a broken hand. Further losses (both via disqualification) followed to Michael Smyth and Steve Goodwin, before he returned to winning ways in March 1996 with a points win over Peter Varnavas. A run of eight straight wins, including a second round knockout of former World
lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing (sport), rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) boxing weight classes, weight class in the spor ...
champion Dingaan Thobela, was ended by defeat to Peter Malinga in January 1997. In July 1997, only a month after his mother was killed and his father seriously injured in a car crash, he successfully challenged Kevin Lueshing for the British welterweight title, stopping the defending champion in the tenth round. He successfully defended the title two months later, stopping
Paul Ryan Paul Davis Ryan (born January 29, 1970) is an American politician who served as the List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 54th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. A member of the ...
in the second round. Also in 1997 McCreesh sparred with
Daniel Day-Lewis Sir Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis (born 29 April 1957) is an English actor. Often described as one of the greatest actors in the history of cinema, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Daniel Day-Lewis, numerous a ...
as part of the actor's preparation for the film ''
The Boxer "The Boxer" is a song written by Paul Simon and recorded by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fifth and final studio album, '' Bridge over Troubled Water'' (1970). Produced by the duo and Roy Halee, it was released as a stan ...
''. In November 1997 he faced Michele Piccirillo for the vacant European welterweight title; Piccirillo stopped him in the ninth round. McCreesh made a second successful defence of his British title in July 1998, stopping Michael Smyth in the seventh round, the fight marred by serious crowd trouble that led to four arrests, and won his third defence three months later, stopping Ross Hale in the fourth. He relinquished the title in 1999 and moved up to super welterweight. In July 2000 he challenged Adrian Stone for the latter's IBO World super welterweight title, but was stopped in the sixth round. McCreesh had one further fight, a points defeat to Ossie Duran in April 2001, before retiring. McCreesh went on to take over Bracknell Boxing Academy, coaching young boxers. In 2012 he returned to the ring to fight Tony Furzer, losing by a fifth round TKO.Furzer wins via TKO
, ''Exeter Express & Echo'', 27 September 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2015


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McCreesh, Geoff 1970 births Living people English male boxers Welterweight boxers Light-middleweight boxers Sportspeople from Bracknell