The Man Who Was Never Knocked Down

Book excerpt: Seán Mannion was once ranked the #1 US light middleweight boxer and in 1984 he fought Mike McCallum for the world title, only to fall just short of his dreams. Featuring exclusive interviews with Mannion, this book provides an inside perspective on his boxing career, 1980s Boston, and his present search for purpose outside the ring. In 1977, looking to fulfill a dream as a pro boxer, 17-year-old Seán Mannion flew into Boston from Ireland, straight into a world of gun smugglers, drug dealers, and the world’s best boxers. By 1983, Mannion was ranked the number one US light middleweight boxer. In The Man Who Was Never Knocked Down: The Life of Boxer Seán Mannion, Rónán Mac Con Iomaire recounts Mannion’s struggles and triumphs in and out of the ring. Despite dubious management and the attention of the Boston Irish Mafia, Mannion quickly climbed his way up from the lower rungs of one of the most competitive weight divisions in boxing history. This biography is more than a boxing story; it’s a personal story that also intersects with notorious crime figures, world-class fighters, and several pivotal moments in history. Featuring the likes of Micky Ward, Pat Nee, Marty Walsh, and Kevin Cullen, The Man Who Was Never Knocked Down is provides an inside perspective on the boxer, the fighting culture of his era, and on 1980s South Boston.