Jim Rock
Rock (centre) in 2006
Born (1972-03-12) 12 March 1972
Dublin, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Other namesThe Pink Panther
Statistics
Weight(s)Light-middleweight
Middleweight
Super-middleweight
Light-heavyweight
Height5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights34
Wins30
Wins by KO12
Losses4

Jim Rock (born 12 March 1972) is an Irish former professional boxer who competed from 1995 to 2009. He is the only boxer to have held the Irish title at four different weights divisions: light-middleweight, middleweight, super-middleweight and light-heavyweight.[1][2][3][4]

Background

Family

Rock was born into a large family in the Blanchardstown area of west Dublin. Rock is a cousin of former Irish welterweight champion Robbie Murray. Rock is now married with a young family.[5][6]

TV and film

In 2003, Rock trained actor Matthew McConaughey in preparation for his role in the film Reign of Fire. In return, McConaughey worked Rock's corner during his victory over Jason Collins. Rock also trained Geri Halliwell from the Spice Girls in 1999 before they kicked of their world tour in the Point Depot in Dublin.[7]

In March 2007, Rock fought a five-round exhibition fight in Dublin against former Olympic champion Michael Carruth.[8]

Rock, along with Mick Dowling, co-presents boxing broadcasts for the Irish national television broadcaster, RTÉ.[9]

Boxing career

Rock boxed as an amateur prior to turning professional in November 1995. He won his first fight at the Point Depot in Dublin, beating the previously unbeaten Craig Lynch the undercard of a bill that included fellow Irish boxers Steve Collins and Eamonn Magee.

Rock was a veteran of the Dublin professional fight scene; however, he fought out of the Breen Gym in Belfast. Rock is a former WAA Inter-Continental European Super Middleweight, IBC Middleweight, WBF Continental European Light Middleweight, Irish Light Middleweight and Irish Super Middleweight title holder and Irish Middleweight title holder. However, arguably his biggest fight was against Margate based Iranian, Mehrdud "Takaloo" Takalobigashi for the WBU Light Middleweight title which took place in Belfast's Odyssey Arena in February 2003. Rock lost this keenly contested fight to an explosive overhand right knock out defeat in the ninth round.

Brian Peters

Rock fought on Brian Peters promotions which were broadcast on Irish station RTÉ but he has since retired. Derry fighter John Duddy once displayed interest in taking on the Dubliner for the Irish middleweight title. Duddy's management attended Rock's 3 June 2006 fight against Kevin Phelan in Dublin, a seventh-round TKO victory for Rock. The fight was initially scheduled for 29 September 2006 at Madison Square Garden, but was then postponed, for a November 2006 bout in Dublin, Ireland which again did not materialise.[10]

The speculation of a potential superfight against John Duddy continued into 2007 and a bill including a Duddy/Rock match up and a Bernard Dunne title defense was planned for late summer 2007.[11] Ultimately, that fight never took place.

Rock was undefeated from 2003 until his retirement in 2009.

References

  1. ↑ Boxrec. "Jim Rock". Boxrec Fighter Page. Retrieved 13 October 2006.
  2. ↑ Tomás Rohan. "Rock - Duddy postponed". Eastside Boxing. Archived from the original on 6 October 2006. Retrieved 13 October 2006.
  3. ↑ Chris Curry. "Takaloo Crushes The Rock". Irish Boxing. Archived from the original on 19 October 2006. Retrieved 13 October 2006.
  4. ↑ Thomas Myler. "Dunne demolition job puts world on agenda". Irish Independent. Retrieved 26 March 2003.
  5. ↑ Tomas Rohan. ""Dunne out to short circuit Sean "Short Fuse" Hughes"". BoxingBoxing.net. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2005.
  6. ↑ Tomas Rohan. "Murray and Macklin claim Irish titles". BoxingBoxing.net. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2005.
  7. ↑ "McConaughey gets ready to Rock..." BoxingBoxing.net. Retrieved 14 October 2005.
  8. ↑ "Rock added to Dunne card". IrishBoxing.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
  9. ↑ "Dunne v Pickering". RTÉ. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
  10. ↑ Profile of Brian Peters Promotions website Archived 2007-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ A busy summer for Duddy Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
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