Patrick McGuigan
| Paddy McGuigan | |
|---|---|
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | Patrick McGuigan |
| Nickname(s) | Paddy Mac Pride of New Jersey Blacksmith Lightweight |
| Weight(s) | Lightweight |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) |
| Nationality | Irish-American |
| Born | March 17, 1868 Kentucky |
| Died | September 13, 1938 Harrison, NJ |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 50+ |
| Wins | 19 |
| Wins by KO | 5 |
| Losses | 2 |
| Draws | 6 |
Patrick McGuigan (March 17, 1868 – September 13, 1938), commonly known as "Paddy" McGuigan, was an American boxer, promoter, entertainer, business man, and sports figure in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A member of the NJ Boxing Hall of Fame, he is considered one of the best fighters of the era and was a beloved figure among sports fans in the region, considered by many to be "The Pride of New Jersey." He became the New Jersey Lightweight Champion in 1890 and the Interstate New York & New Jersey Lightweight Champion in 1892. Fighting in both the bare-knuckle and gloved eras, he met virtually all of the world's top boxers in his class. At the peak of his career he traveled the country with William Muldoon's athletic carnival, "meeting all comers" in each city they visited. Once he retired from boxing professionally, he became a promoter and opened a fight club and a saloon in Harrison, NJ. He has been credited as one of the men responsible for boxing's rise to affluence in New Jersey after it was legalized in 1918 under the Hurley Law, being the first individual in the state to secure a license to legally host boxing matches. Paddy "must be chronicled as one of the greatest ringmen who ever lived," according to sportswriter Anthony Marenghi, and has been described by Hall of Fame manager Tom O'Rourke as the greatest fighter he had ever seen.
Paddy was born in Kentucky in 1868 to Michael McGuigan and Bridget McClachey, both Irish immigrants. Around the age of six, Paddy moved to Newark, NJ with his parents and two older brothers, John and James. Paddy became separated from his parents around the age of ten or twelve, though the reason is unknown, and later began working in local strawberry fields. He and his brothers lived together until their deaths in 1905 and 1913 and they moved often, living in Paterson, Newark, and Harrison, the latter being where Paddy settled and began to raise his family. Paddy's father Michael lived on his own until his death and his mother Bridget died of tuberculosis.
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