Vinny Feeney

Infobox_Boxer


name=Vince Feeney
realname=Vincent Feeney
nickname="the Sligo Kid"
weight=bantamweight
nationality= flagicon|Ireland Irish
birth_date=Birth date and age|1973|5|12|df=y
birth_place=Sligo, Ireland
home=Sligo, Ireland
style=southpaw
total=21
wins=14
KO=2
losses=6
draws=1
no contests=0|

Vincent "Vinny" Feeney, (born 12 May, 1973) who boxed as a professional under the name "Vince Feeney" with the nickname of "the Sligo Kid", is a former professional boxer from the Maugheraboy area of Sligo Town, Ireland.

For the majority of his professional career, Feeney fought in the bantamweight division but also competed at divisions either side.cite web | author=Boxrec | title="Vince Feeney" | work=Boxrec Fighter Page | url=http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=005962 | accessdaymonth=13 October | accessyear=2006 ]

Background

Amateur career

Feeney began boxing as an amateur at the age of 14 under the tutelage of Christy Houze, at the Innisfree Boxing Club in Sligo. Durong his time under Houze he won three Connacht titles and an All-Ireland title.

He continued his boxing education in Dublin with Paddy Keogh and won a further three All-Ireland titles along with Leinster and Dublin titles as well as representing Ireland in the national team."Down Gallows Hill: An illustrated history of Sligo from 1245 to 1995", Paul Gunning, 1995. PB) Sligo Heritage Group p.199]

Feeney, who was mentored by his father, John, then moved to London to further his career. On his first day in London the pair visited the Thomas A Beckett Gym on the Old Kent Road in south east London and Feeney was invited by trainer Howard Rainey to return the following day to try out as a professional.

The next day Feeney sparred for six rounds with Colin McMillan, the then world featherweight champion. Feeney returned again to the gym the following day to be met by one of his childhood hero's Barry McGuigan who supervised his workout and advised Feeney to become a professional stating that he had "the right style, having good upper body movement, good body shots and power" in his punches.

Professional career

Feeney trained in Kilburn and fought out of his Neasden base in nort west London. He was a popular fighter and attracted a large following amongst the London Irish community. Feeney had a bright start to his professional career but suffered from a number of controversial decisions which effected the progression of his career.

Debut

Feeney had his first professional fight in October 1992. His first fight took place at the Bayswater Arena, London, England. In this fight Feeney drew with Bradford bantamweight Adey Benton over six rounds the undercard of a bill that included Cornelius Carr.

Title fights

WBC International bantamweight title

Feeney's first title fight came in 1997 against Willy Pedromo.

outhern Area bantamweight title

His next shot at a title came in April 1997 against Francis Ampofo at the York Hall, Bethnal Green, London for the vacant British southern area bantamweight title. Feeney defeated the London based Ghanan boxer on points over ten rounds.

Irish title controversy

Feeney then won a shot at the vacant Irish bantamweight title against Belfast's Tommy "Willo The Wisp" Waite. The fight took place in Waite's hometown on the undercard of the Darren Corbert v Robert Norton fight at the Maysfield Leisure Centre, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Waite won the fight on points after ten rounds in what were controversial circumstances.cite web | author= | title="Sam looks at Tommy Waite's hard climb up the professional ladder" | work=Sunday People | url=http://www.irish-boxing.com/sam2.htm | accessdaymonth=13 August | accessyear=2001 ]

The Sky Sports ringside commentators and the "Punchstat" statistics as well as journalists from the boxing trading magazines including Boxing News all showed that Feeney had won the fight clearly. The decision cost Feeney an opportunity of fighting for the European bantamweight title.

When Feeney's manager Frank Maloney returned to Britain after signing a World Heavyweight unification fight deal between WBC champion Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield in Las Vegas he viewed a videotape of the fight. Maloney was so outraged by the decision that he stated the he would be filing the strongest possible protest with both the British Boxing Board of Control and the Irish Boxing Board of Control as a result of the decision.cite web | author=Unknown | title="Lewis signs up for showdown with Holyfield in Vegas" | work=Irish Independent | url=http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=37&si=631017&issue_id=6300 | accessdaymonth=23 December | accessyear=1997 ]

Denied world title fight after brain scan

In May 1998, Feeney was due to defend his British southern area bantamweight title against Aldershot based super bantamweight John Matthews, however, he suffered a cut during training and had to postponed a fight. The bout was rescheduled and took place in August 1998, and took place at the Town Hall, Acton, London on the bill dubbed "Double trouble".Boxing Programme for "Double Trouble" bill, 10 September, 1998. Published by) Evans-Waterman Promotions p.3]

Feeney defeated Matthews on points over ten rounds to retain his southern area title and this led to Feeney getting a shot at a world title belt.

Feeney was to fly out to South Africa to challenge for the IBO super bantamweight title, however, hours before Feeney was to board a flight at Heathrow Airport to Durban he received a report that an irregularity had shown up on a brain scan and that he had failed a routine MRI scan which he had undertaken earlier that year. Feeney was devastated by the news that ended his dreams of becoming a world champion.cite web | author= | title="Feeney: Doc said i'm brain-damaged" | work=Sunday Mirror | url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-60646725.html | accessdaymonth=13 May | accessyear=2007 ] cite web | author=Karl MacGinty | title="Wayne KO'd by boxing's old failings" | work=Irish Independent | url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/wayne-kod-by-boxings--old-failings-365807.html | accessdaymonth=13 May | accessyear=2007 ]

Feeney subsequently retired from professional boxing for heath reasons.cite web | author= | title="Reynolds ‘for pro ranks’" | work=Sligo Weekender | url=http://www.sligoweekender.ie/news/story.asp?j=11256 | accessdaymonth=13 May | accessyear=2007 ]

Post retirement

In 1997, Feeney was voted "Sligo Sports Person of the Year" in the Boxing category.cite web | author= | title="Sligo Sports Person of the Year" | work=Sligo Weekender | url=http://www.sligoweekender.ie/ssa/pastwinners.htm| accessdaymonth=13 May | accessyear=2007 ] Since Feeney's retirement he has trained local youths at various Sligo boxing gyms and is employed as a Corner Inspector for the Boxing Union of Ireland during professional bouts.cite web | author=Tomas Rohan | title="Full Team Ireland fight reports here" | work=Irish Boxing News | url=http://www.irish-boxing.com/newsarchive2001.htm | accessdaymonth=16 November | accessyear=2001 ]

References

External links

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