WITHOUT Billy McKee, we might not have heard of Carl Frampton. Considering ‘The Jackal’ bids to become a three-weight world champion in a fortnight’s time, and is up there with the best Ireland has ever produced, that seems unthinkable.
But that is the impact the legendary Midland ABC coach - who passed away yesterday at the age of 82 - had not only on Frampton, but also on the generations of young fighters who either passed through his hands or were helped along the way.
The pair gelled from the moment the small, skinny seven-year-old first walked through the door, and McKee remained a guiding hand throughout Frampton’s life both inside and outside the ring.
“I owe so much to this man,” tweeted the Tigers Bay man yesterday.
“He taught me how to box but he taught me so much more. Dedicated his life to helping me and others. Straight talking, hard wee man who I respect more than anyone else. Legend of man.
“Sympathies to Eileen and the rest of his family. RIP Billy, love ya.”
McKee grew up in York Street, part of Sailortown, and was instantly drawn not to the fight game, with former world flyweight champion Rinty Monaghan walking by his window every day on the way to training.
McKee had 16 amateur bouts before answering the call of the sea, becoming a cabin boy at just 16. Eventually his feet would remain firmly on home soil, though, and so began his odyssey at Midland.
And while it is for his connection with Frampton that he is most renowned, Billy McKee also helped save the career of another pocket rocket and former rival of ‘The Jackal’ – Paddy Barnes.
A teenage Barnes might have traded leather with Frampton on the way up but, just like their trainers Billy McKee and Gerry Storey, the pair would become good friends.
Yet it could have been so different for three-time Olympian Barnes had it not been for a crucial intervention from McKee and Storey ahead of the 2007 World Championships in Chicago, with the Holy Family light-fly all set to hang the gloves up at just 20.
“I’m really sad to hear about Billy,” said Barnes, a bronze medallist at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.
“I’ve known Billy since I was a kid because me and Carl were rivals when we were young lads. We would’ve trained together because Holy Family club is in a community centre so over Christmas and in the summer it would’ve been closed sometimes and we would’ve used Billy’s club. Carl would always have been in our club as well – Billy brought Carl everywhere.
“He was just a real hard wee man… funny and fair, but hard. That’s the only way I could describe him.
“That time in 2007, I had been at the Commonwealth championships in Liverpool and got a gold medal, but when I came back the World Championship team for October that year was getting picked. They only picked seven boxers, I was arguing with Billy Walsh – Billy Walsh said I wasn’t good enough and all that.
“I went home, I remember clear as day, the team was picked and I was sitting drinking cider thinking ‘what’s the point in training?’ I was thinking I might not even box any more because I’m not getting a fair crack.
“Later on I was walking down to the off-license with my mate when Billy McKee and Gerry Storey drove past. They pulled over and said: ‘Paddy, how would you feel if you were told you were going to the World Championships?’
“I couldn’t believe it. They had gone down to the central council meeting and, along with a few others I’m sure, kicked up a big fuss and got it changed.
“So I owe Billy and Gerry big time for that. It’s very sad news.”
Tributes poured in from amateur boxing clubs across Belfast and beyond yesterday as word spread, with McKee’s beloved Midland posting: “It's with heavy hearts, Midland boxing club and our committee members can confirm the passing of our founder and past president Billy McKee.
“Our hearts are completely broken. We send our sincerest condolences and deepest sympathies to his family.”
The Ulster Boxing Council County Antrim Board, meanwhile, joined in offering their condolences to Billy McKee’s family.
“For many years Billy was a key member of County Antrim and Irish boxing, serving for many years on the county board as both member and president as well as a central council member,” read a statement.
“Billy will be missed for his quick wit, kind nature and dedication to the sport.”
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IRISH BOXERS READY FOR RETURN TO ACTION IN SOFIA
IRELAND will send an 11-strong team to the Strandja international tournament this weekend – the first competitive action any of the boxers will have tasted in almost a year.
Ryston’s Niamh Earley takes the 51kg berth alongside Monkstown’s Michaela Walsh, Kellie Harrington and Aoife O’Rourke, there is no 57kg male boxer travelling, while Galway’s Gytis Lisinskas gets the nod in the super-heavy spot previously held by Dean Gardiner.
The Clonmel veteran decided to quit boxing at the end of last year after returning to full-time education last September. Gardiner had been due to fight Bulgaria’s Petar Belbarov two days after last year’s European qualifier in London was suspended, and needed just two wins to secure his spot at Tokyo 2020.
The fact he didn’t box and wasn’t a seed in the draw means Gardiner can be replaced, and Lisinskas has a chance his credentials in Sofia, where the action runs from Sunday until February 28.
The Irish squad had been scheduled to head to Germany for a two week training camp/round-robin competition at the start of the month but those plans were scrapped, with Great Britain bringing over a team for a training camp at Ulster University last week.
For the Irish boxers back between the ropes next week, it will be a welcome return to action - with the last time several of the team laced up gloves for a competitive bout coming at the London qualifier in mid-March 2020, before it fell foul of the Covid-19 pandemic just three days in.
That qualifier had been due to recommence at the Copper Box Arena on April 22, running until April 26, but the International Olympic Committee's Boxing Task Force (BTF) confirmed earlier this month that it would be looking for a new venue as a result of the ongoing public health crisis.
It was confirmed last night that qualifier will now go ahead in June, with a new venue yet to be confirmed. The Americas qualfier will take place in Argentina from May 10-16, while the final World qualifier scheduled for June has now been cancelled.
As a result, the remaining 53 quota places for Tokyo, which would have been available at the World qualifier, will now be allocated according to BTF rankings, distributed equally between the four regions. That could be great news for Lisburn's Kurt Walker - who was surprisingly beaten in his opening bout at the European qualifier last year - because, as of last September, he is currently ranked number two in the world at 57kg.
As it stands, St Paul’s flyweight Brendan Irvine is the only Irish boxer to have secured qualification for this summer’s rescheduled Olympics.
IRISH TEAM
Strandja International Tournament, Sofia (February 21-28)
51kg: N Earley (Ryston)
57kg: M Walsh (Monkstown)
60kg: K Harrington (St Mary’s)
75kg: A O’Rourke (Castlerea)
52kg: B Irvine (St Paul’s)
63kg: G Bates (St Mary’s)
69kg: A Walsh (Monkstown)
75kg: M Nevin (Portlaoise)
81kg: E Brenna (Dublin Docklands)
91kg: K Afanasev (Smithfield)
91kg+: G Lisinskas (Celtic Eagles)
Team manager: B Dunne; Head coach: Z Antia; Coaches: J Conlan, D Dmitruk
