The Career of Boxer Billy Irwin
William “Billy the Kid” Irwin is a Canadian boxer from Niagara Falls, Ontario. As an amateur, he won bronze in the lightweight division at the 1991 Pan American Games and represented Canada at the 1992 Olympics. As a professional, he won the IBO lightweight title and the Commonwealth lightweight title before later challenging for a world championship. Olympedia’s profile records his amateur appearances.
Amateur medals and professional titles
Irwin earned the 1991 Pan American Games bronze medal at 60 kilograms. He then boxed for Canada at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games in the men’s lightweight tournament. In 1995, he defeated Amado Cabato by unanimous decision over 12 rounds to win the vacant IBO lightweight title. The IBO title-fight record lists that result.
In October 1996, Irwin beat David Tetteh by majority decision to win the Commonwealth lightweight championship. BoxRec’s title history lists Irwin’s reign through March 1997. He later challenged Juan Díaz for the WBA lightweight title in Houston on January 21, 2005. Díaz stopped him in the ninth round; the bout record gives the result and round.
Irwin’s résumé spans amateur international competition, regional championships and a major-title challenge. The sources distinguish those achievements clearly: he was an IBO and Commonwealth titleholder, while his 2005 bout with Díaz was a challenge for the WBA world belt.
Selected Recorded Results
- 2005-01-21: Billy Irwin lost to Juan Diaz in Reliant Center, Houston.
- 2004-07-28: Billy Irwin won against Lou Bizzarro in Avalon Hotel, Erie.
- 2003-07-05: Billy Irwin won against Mark Riggs in CanWest Global Park, Winnipeg.
- 2003-04-26: Billy Irwin won against Luis Gustavo Sosa in Hamilton Place Theatre, Hamilton.
- 2003-01-17: Billy Irwin won against Richard Howard in Sawridge Hotel, Slave Lake.
- 2002-10-18: Billy Irwin won against Vincent Howard in Hershey Centre, Mississauga.
- 2002-09-14: Billy Irwin won against Mario Lechowski in Ed Lumley Arena, Cornwall.
- 1996-10-11: Billy Irwin won against David Tetteh in International Plaza Hotel, Toronto.
Sources
Olympedia’s profile; IBO title-fight record; Biographical source; Recorded professional bout history.
Article Tags
Billy Irwin, Boxing, Sports History
