Ali ‘The Greatest’ but Maguire the latest to win in Croke Park
A BBC Sport NI feature marks the return of boxing to Croke Park for Katie Taylor's final fight on Saturday by recalling the venue's last big night in the sport, when Muhammad Ali beat Al 'Blue' Lewis in July 1972. It revisits the undercard, the local fighters involved, and the behind-the-scenes chaos of staging such an event, offering context for why Ali's Dublin visit is still remembered 54 years on.
Ali, then 30 and yet to fight George Foreman or Joe Frazier, stopped Lewis in the 11th round on 19 July 1972 after accepting a reported £300,000 fee from Kerry promoter Michael 'Butty' Sugrue, though only 17,000 fans attended, well short of the break-even figure. Belfast's Paddy Maguire, a 1966 Commonwealth Games silver medallist, closed the undercard with a points win over France's Guy Caudron, on a bill that also featured Paddy Doherty, John Conteh and Joe Bugner; a late delivery of boxing gloves from England delayed proceedings, pushing Maguire's fight until after the main event. Kilkenny hurling great Eddie Keher, an All-Ireland winner that year, also recalls meeting Ali beforehand and trying to teach him hurling at the Kilternan Hotel.
- Boxing returns to Croke Park for Katie Taylor's final fight on Saturday.
- Piece recalls Muhammad Ali's 1972 Croke Park win over Al 'Blue' Lewis.
- Belfast's Paddy Maguire also won on that historic undercard.
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Boxing returns to Croke Park this weekend when Katie Taylor fights there for the last time, a moment that echoes the stadium's most famous night in the sport more than 50 years ago. In July 1972, Muhammad Ali fought in Dublin against the American Al 'Blue' Lewis, drawing global attention to the Gaelic games venue at a stage in his career before his best-known bouts against George Foreman and Joe Frazier.
The event was put together by Kerry promoter Michael 'Butty' Sugrue, and the undercard featured several notable boxers of the era, including Belfast fighter Paddy Maguire, along with Paddy Doherty, John Conteh and Joe Bugner. Staging the fight involved considerable last-minute difficulties, and attendance fell well short of what organisers needed to cover costs.
The story matters because it explains why Ali's visit is still talked about in Irish sport decades on, and it provides context for the significance of Croke Park hosting a major boxing event again with Taylor's fight.