THE Irish boxing scene is mourning the loss of influential manager Pat Magee, who passed away this morning following a short illness.
Belfast businessman Magee played a major part in the career of super-middleweight Brian Magee, and would later manage the likes of Tommy McCarthy and Anthony Cacace.
It was with namesake Magee, though, that he enjoyed most success, the pair part of a rollercoaster ride that brought the west Belfast Olympian an IBO world title before going onto fight the likes of Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler.
Renowned trainer Harry Hawkins was there from the start too and, even before the association with Brian Magee, remembers Pat’s enthusiasm for the fight game and willingness to help out at Holy Trinity or other amateur clubs in the area.
“Pat was a very astute businessman, but he was also a boxing fanatic,” says Hawkins.
“He would have been a big sponsor for St Agnes’s - without making a fuss, I’m sure any time they were getting it tight, Pat would have helped out.
“When we ran shows, Pat was always the first man to buy a table. If there was something to be bought in the auction Pat would’ve paid through the nose for it.
“He was always a great help to ourselves, and even lately he helped us out in the Emerald club. He went down to the National Stadium last year to see Kane Tucker win the Irish U22s and was in his element… he just loved being around boxing.”
And it was through mutual friend John Rooney that Pat Magee ended up getting involved when Brian Magee moved into the professional ranks after a stellar amateur career.
“You would always have seen him, no matter where you went, whether it was Belfast or Wembley, Dublin, America, him and JR [Rooney] would have gone to all the shows together,” says Hawkins.
“When Brian won the Muhammad Ali tournament in Kentucky, Pat happened to be in America at the same time. He was watching the fights on TV and saw Brian beat Jeff Lacy in the final.
“So when we decided we were going to go pro with Brian, JR suggested getting Pat involved and it was probably the best move we could have made.
“Pat had a great knowledge of the pro scene, he would’ve had every Boxing News, every boxing magazine going, he knew everything that was going on and was always right up to date.
“He also knew what people were getting money-wise, knew all the promoters. Barry Hearn and him hit it off, so much so that when we went over for some of Brian’s fights he would’ve had Pat round to his house and into the office, met up for lunch before the fight. Frank Warren, John Wischusen of Sky TV, they all loved dealing with him.
“Pat just had that good way about him, and he was trustworthy. He was an absolutely terrific help to Brian Magee and myself, and a good friend through the years.
“Pat’s passing is a great loss to his family and the entire boxing scene.”
