Ring 8 Next Meeting, Thursday, April 18th – Guest Speakers Seamus McDonagh & Peter Wood.
.
RING 8 MEETING
THURSDAY
APRIL 18, 2024 – 7 pm
O’NEILL’S
64-21 53rd Dr.
MASPETH, NY
.
.
.
.
.
.
>
Sean McDonagh fought at light-heavyweight and lost a split decision in the quarter-finals to David Harris, the eventual winner. In the 1984 Golden Gloves he fought out the Times Square Boxing Gym again lost a split decision in the heavyweight division to Ira Turner, the eventual champion. On a trip to the Catskills, Seamus visited legendary trainer Cus D’Amato and was offered the opportunity to live and train under Cus’ tutelage, along with another then unknown teenager named Mike Tyson. Seamus declined, returned to Brooklyn and in 1985 won the New York State Golden Gloves heavyweight division scoring KO’s in all four of his victories. Later that year he turned professional and used the money he obtained from the signing bonus to pay for his second semester at Saint John’s University. It was during this time that Seamus became familiar with novelist Norman Mailer. They corresponded for many years.
Seamus took most of his classes at the Staten Island campus and became a member of the fraternity Sigma Chi Upsilon (EXY).
In 1989 he danced with the brothers of EXY as “The Blues Brothers East”, doing a half-time routine for the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. They also performed for St. John’s University basketball team at Alumni Hall. Later that year he won “Rusty Staub’s” famous rib eating competition representing Madison Square Garden. He obtained an honors degree in English Literature St. John’s University.
By 1990 he had a professional boxing record of 19-1-1, (14KO’s) and was the #3 world ranked cruiserweight and #9 world ranked heavyweight. In the spring of 1990, the world of boxing was shocked when the seemingly unbeatable Iron Mike Tyson was KO’d by challenger Buster Douglas. This immediately ruled out the longtime highly anticipated match up between #1 ranked heavyweight contender Evander Holyfield and undisputed World Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson.
On 1 June 1990, McDonagh took Tyson’s place and fought WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield [1] He lost by a TKO in the fourth round. In his corner were his dad Jim, Nick and Joe Baffi, Bobby Barbero and Tommy Gallagher. He lost only 3 times in 23 professional fights and turned to acting after his retirement from boxing.
His first acting job was in Judy Gebauer’s “Bobby Sands M.P.”, directed by Nye Heron at the Irish Arts Center NY NY. His credits include “The Risen People” and “2by4”, dir. by Jimmy Smallhorne, NY NY. “Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme”, dir. Naomi Gibson, San Francisco, CA. Lead in “The Shankill Road” dir. by Tess Downey, Hollywood CA.
He played the lead character in the Off-Broadway play “Kid Shamrock“ about the life of former #1 ranked world cruiser weight Bobby Cassidy. It was written by his son Bobby Cassidy Jr. who writes for Newsday.
Guest speaker Peter Wood
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Peter Wood was a New York Golden Gloves middleweight finalist in a bout held in Madison Square Garden in 1971. He later was asked to represent the U.S. in international competition in Montreal and was America’s 1st alternate in the Maccabian Games in Tel Aviv. He has written books, plays and articles in many leading publications. Peter Wood was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame on November 14, 2019.
Wood’s writing credits also include a guest column in The New York Times, and articles in Commonweal, America, Ring, Boxing Illustrated, Westchester Magazine, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Proof, Boxing.com and TheSweetScience.com
In addition, his feature article in Sporting Classics has been anthologized in its 25th Anniversary leather-bound edition featuring their 40 finest pieces of writing.
His two full-length plays, Candy Bars and Our Similarities Are Different, were produced in regional theatre in Westchester, New York. His play Freshmen was read at White Plains High School.
As an actor, Wood made his Off-Broadway debut in Kid Shamrock at The TADA Theater in 2012. In 2017, he appeared in the New York City indie film, The Expediter.
A former New York City Golden Gloves finalist in 1971, Wood was selected to represent America in international competition in Montreal, Canada. In 1976, he was asked to represent America in the Maccabean Games held in Tel Aviv, Israel.
He has been interviewed on national television, ESPN and ABC and in New York, The Aaron Braunstein Show; public radio, The Sally Jessie Raphael Show, WOR—The Joey Reynolds Show, and WFUV.
He is also a painter and has had numerous art shows in Manhattan, Easthampton, NY, and the Midwest. One of his paintings was featured in the Katonah Museum of Art.
Peter Wood was born in Manhattan in 1953. He currently lives in Mount Kisco. He spends summers at his home in Easthampton with his wife, Sue, and his daughter. Zoe Makepeace
The Author – Peter wood (authorpeterwood.com)
Ring 8
The NYS Veteran Boxer’s Association
Contact:
President, Ron McNair
65 Mitchell Lane
Westtown, N.Y. 10998
ring8ronmcnair@gmail.com
917-968-5636
Ring 8‘s yearly $30.00 membership dues will be collected. Cost for that evening’s dinner is $10.00.