Thirty-five years ago today, Barry McGuigan captured the WBA and lineal featherweight titles when his hand was raised after 15 rounds against Eusebio Pedroza at a jubilant Loftus Road.
The 'Clones Cyclone' was on a 27-fight winning streak since losing early on in his professional career heading into what what would prove to be the defining showdown of his fighting life.
Pedroza had reigned on the world stage for seven years and made 19 successful defences before taking on McGuigan in front of a crowd of more than 26,000 in London.
It was the Irish fighter who had the upper hand, flooring his Panamanian opponent in the seventh round en route to a wide unanimous decision victory.
"Surely, Barry McGuigan MUST be the champion of the world!" What a night in Loftus Road. Was it #IrelandsGreatest Sporting Moment of 80s? pic.twitter.com/HvrluA6W69
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) November 9, 2017
Monaghan man McGuigan was a unifying force during The Troubles in the 1980s and 19 million BBC viewers watched his career high on television.
He was the inaugural winner of the RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year award in 1985 and was also named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, becoming the first person not born in the United Kingdom to win the award.
He made two successful defences of the WBA title before losing the crown to Steve Cruz in June 1986 and eventually retired in 1989.
Watch the RTÉ news report above on an estimated 100,000 turning out in Dublin to welcome McGuigan home after his victory.
