Recognized by some because the ‘Bubblegum Child’ Sean O’Grady would develop into the world champion, and his father Pat can be behind him, dropping the crown with out a battle.
O’Grady gained his first 26 fights, 25 by stoppage all in his first yr in boxing in 1975.
Most of O’Grady’s fights have been in his house state of Oklahoma, with just a few others in Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee. The one opponent with a successful file was when he stopped Colombian Ramon Reyes (15-5-3), at Memphis Blues Ball Park in Tennessee.
At 29-0, O’Grady met Danny ‘Little Purple’ Lopez (28-3), who would later within the yr win the WBC World Featherweight title David Kotey (34-2-2) in Ghana.
Within the battle with Lopez, O’Grady‘s nook stopped it after 4 rounds. He would go on to win his subsequent eighteen fights by stoppage earlier than assembly Davey Vasquez, 17-9, at Madison Sq. Backyard in New York. He would win a majority choice. He gained his subsequent seven fights by stoppage earlier than assembly former WBA Bantamweight champion Mexico’s Romeo ‘El Lacandon’ Anaya (46-15-1), whom he stopped in three rounds on the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA.
In October 1979, O’Grady confronted Arturo Leon (26-17-2), and gained a 15-round choice for the IBF USBA Light-weight title on the Fairgrounds in Oklahoma Metropolis. In his first protection, he gained a majority choice over Gonzalo Montellano (25-0-1), in Omaha, Nebraska.
Two fights later, O’Grady (73-1) would meet IBF World Light-weight champion Scotland’s Jim Watt (37-7), dropping within the twelfth spherical as a consequence of an unsightly gash to his brow requiring 11 stitches, behind on all scorecards on the time.
Two fights later, in April 1981, O’Grady would get his second shot at a world title towards Kronk’s WBA World Light-weight champion, Hilmer Kenty (20-0), in Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey. He gained the title by scores of 145-139, 147-137, and 146-138.
O’Grady’s profession would take a significant blow when he was stripped of his title for refusing to battle No. 1 contender Claude Noel (26-3). Noel would win the vacant title, defeating Rodolfo Gonzalez (19-0-1).
O’Grady’s father was behind Sean not taking the battle so he may begin his personal group, the WAA, in October 1981 towards southpaw Andy ‘Hawaiian Punch’ Ganigan (33-3), who had misplaced a majority choice in an eliminator with Gonzalez.
Ganigan was a late sub for 1976 Gold Medal Olympian Howard Davis, Jr. O’Grady was dropped twice within the second spherical and stopped on the Conference Heart in Little Rock, Arkansas.
4 months later, O’Grady would come again and win 4 straight stoppages. In October 1982, he met Pete Ranzany (57-7-2), dropping a ten-round cut up choice. Within the following yr, he stopped his subsequent opponent and met John ‘The Warmth’ Verderosa (23-1), in March in Chicago, which might be his final battle, dropping being dropped twice within the fourth spherical.
At age 24 O’Grady’s closing file was 81-5 with 70 stoppages he would retire and by no means look again. He would develop into a boxing analyst on ‘USA Tuesday Evening Fights’. In 1992 he was inducted into the World Boxing Corridor of Fame.
