FLASHBACK: Barry McGuigan’s title joy with win over Eusebio Pedroza
Barry McGuigan captured the WBA and lineal featherweight titles when his hand was raised after 15 rounds against Eusebio Pedroza at a jubilant Loftus Road.
McGuigan was a unifying force during The Troubles in the 1980s as he was popular with British and Irish audiences, partly explaining why 19 million watched his career high on television on this day 35 years ago.
The ‘Clones Cyclone’ was on a 27-fight winning streak since losing early on in his professional career heading into what what would prove to be the defining showdown of his fighting life.
Pedroza had reigned on the world stage for seven years and made 19 successful defences before taking on McGuigan in front of a crowd of more than 26,000.
It was the Irish fighter who had the upper hand, flooring his Panamanian opponent in the seventh round en route to a wide unanimous decision victory.
McGuigan was named the 1985 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, becoming the first person not born in the United Kingdom to win the award. He made two successful defences of the WBA title before losing the crown to Steve Cruz in June 1986.