Long-time prospect John Joe Nevin, aka “The Mullingar Shuffler,” was back in Mexico last weekend for only his second fight in five years.
Still undefeated in his 12th year as a prizefighter, the Olympic silver medalist halted Gerson Escobar Romero in one round in their super lightweight contest in Jiutipec.
Nevin, who’s 35, improved to 15-0 with the fourth stoppage of his career. Romero, also 35 and fighting out of Tlaxcala, Mexico, dropped to 8-12-3 [4 KOs].
Returning to Jiutipec where he ended his five-year layoff last August with a six round points decision over Jose Hernandez Flores at Salon Rosas, Nevin was explosive this time around.
“I did him in the first round with some good body shots and eye-catching head shots. He didn’t come out for the second,” Nevin told the media.
He was particularly pleased at making short work of a foe who had gone six rounds a few years ago with monster punching world super featherweight title contender Eduardo Nunez [27-1, 27 KOs].
“On to the next fight now,” said Nevin. “I’m still undefeated and I’m guessing maybe two or three fights for that [world] title shot I waited all my life for.”
Nevin was based in Philadelphia before his inactivity, and nine of his 15 fights have been in the United States.
A highly decorated fighter in the unpaid ranks, Nevin was a two-time World Championship bronze medalist [2009 & 2011], and a 2012 Olympic silver medalist at the London Games.
CELTIC WARRIOR
Steve Collins, a two-division world champion and arguably the most successful Irish male boxer in recent decades, has been inducted into the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame. The “Celtic Warrior” and other members of the Class of 2025 will be honored over the weekend of Sept. 26-28 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City.
Collins’s peers include former three-time world middleweight titlist Julian Jackson, ex-bantamweight and super bantamweight world champion Junior Jones, former super middleweight world title holder Charles Brewer, one-time IBF light welterweight holder Charles Murray, Philly middleweight title contender Curtis Parker, and US-based Polish middleweight Patrick Majewski.
Collins was a prizefighter from 1986 to 1997 and retired having held both the WBO middleweight and super-middleweight titles simultaneously and without losing as champion. He retired with a 36-3 [21 KO] record.
His first 19 fights in the paid ranks were States-side, including five in Atlantic City.
Collins won the Irish middleweight title in 1988 and the USBA middleweight belt in 1989.
He twice failed, narrowly, in his bid for the WBA middleweight crown -- to Mike McCallum in 1990 and Reggie Johnson in 1992. The third and last defeat of his career was a controversial decision to Sumbu Kalambay in Italy for the European title.
Collins then went on to dominate the middleweight and super middleweight divisions. He captured the WBO belt with a fifth-round TKO victory over Chris Pyatt in 1994, then upset Chris Eubank for the super middleweight title in 1995.
He made seven title defenses before retiring.
