The Man Who Was Never Knocked Down

Seán Mannion was once ranked the #1 US light middleweight boxer, but his world title challenge was crushed by future Hall of Famer Mike McCallum. This book tells Mannion’s story, including his journey from Ireland to Boston, development as a boxer, struggles with alcoholism, foray into coaching, and present search for purpose outside of the ring.

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Seán Mannion was once ranked the #1 US light middleweight boxer and in 1984 he fought Mike McCallum for the world title, only to fall just short of his dreams. Featuring exclusive interviews with Mannion, this book provides an inside perspective on his boxing career, 1980s Boston, and his present search for purpose outside the ring.

In 1977, looking to fulfill a dream as a pro boxer, 17-year-old Sean Mannion flew into Boston from Ireland, straight into a world of gun smugglers, drug dealers, and the world’s best boxers. By 1983, Mannion was ranked the number one US light middleweight boxer.

In The Man Who Was Never Knocked Down: The Life of Boxer Seán Mannion, Rónán Mac Con Iomaire recounts Mannion’s struggles and triumphs in and out of the ring. Despite dubious management and the attention of the Boston Irish Mafia, Mannion quickly climbed his way up from the lower rungs of one of the most competitive weight divisions in boxing history. Mac Con Iomaire tells the tales behind Mannion’s many fights—including his challenge for the world title in 1984 against Mike McCallum—and his life after boxing, working construction and fighting the alcoholism that haunted him in the past. More than 40 years after he first arrived in the US, Mannion now looks for a new purpose outside the ring.

The Man Who Was Never Knocked Down is not just about a struggling boxer; it’s a personal story that also intersects with famous boxers, well-known figures of organized crime, and several pivotal moments in history. Featuring exclusive interviews with Mannion, as well as individuals such as Micky Ward, Pat Nee, Martin Walsh, and Kevin Cullen, this book provides an inside perspective on the boxer, the fighting culture of his era, and on 1980s South Boston.