Paddy Fitzsimons

Belfast’s Paddy Fitzsimons had over 150 bouts as an amateur boxer before a brief career as a professional. The 1962 Ulster junior bantamweight champion, Fitzsimons represented Northern Ireland at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games at Perth, Australia that year but was eliminated in the bantamweight competition by Uganda’s John Sentongo.

A Belfast dock worker, Fitzsimons had one of the best wins of his career in 1963 when he beat Ken Buchanan in the Ireland v Scotland international. After winning the Ulster and Ireland featherweight titles the following year, Fitzsimons was selected for the Tokyo Olympics but was eliminated in the opening round by Poland’s Piotr Gutman.

Fitzsimons turned professional in January 1965 and in a three-fight career, lasting just over two months, he won two and lost one of his three fights in the paid ranks. He later became a highly respected coach at the Belfast Dockers’ Club.