- Ask Steven
Macklin the 'Tipperary Tornado'
Why is the British boxer Matt Macklin known as the "Tipperary Tornado", since he was born in Birmingham? asked Mark Cosstick
Matthew Macklin was indeed born in Birmingham, but both his parents are Irish, and he spent much of his childhood over there in County Tipperary.
A talented sportsman, he became proficient at hurling - one of Ireland's national sports - as well as developing into a fine boxer. Macklin became British middleweight champion in 2009 (he later gave up the title), and in September that year also won the European middleweight championship.
He made two successful defences of that title before relinquishing it for a shot at the world middleweight crown: since then he has lost title fights to Felix Sturm (in 2011) and, earlier this year, to Gennady Golovkin of Kazakhstan, who knocked him out in the third round. "He's the best I ever fought," said Macklin of the undefeated Golovkin. "He never let me get started."
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