Spend an afternoon with ex-boxer Big Joe Egan in West Cumbria.
Mike Tyson’s former sparring partner will be at the CRL factory at Lillyhall, near Workington, on March 24.
Born and bred in Dublin, by the age of 24 Big Joe had recorded over 80 wins, seven Irish titles and he was a Golden Gloves Champion.
Joe fought 11 times wearing the green vest of Ireland and went the distance with Lennox Lewis and beat the future WBA champion Bruce Seldon.
Joe was encouraged to try his luck in the USA, so he joined Tyson’s training camp.
Joe became like a brother to Tyson, who once said of Joe after a particularly vicious sparring session, that Joe was the toughest white man on the planet. The two became the firmest of friends.
Joe’s dreams of continuing as a boxer were cruelly shattered when he was forced to quit following a serious road accident on the night of his second professional fight.
A downward spiral followed, which culminated in him being with charged with attempted murder.
In May 2004, after an absence of 12 years, Big Joe Egan made his ring comeback aged 38. In 2008, he appeared as himself in Guy Ritchie’s film Sherlock Holmes.
He will be sharing tales from his life and anecdotes at the event, which will also feature live music from Buzz Elliott.
Doors open at 2pm and tickets are £5 – the first alcoholic drink is free on arrival. The event runs until 7pm.
