Dave McAuley

McAuley recently took part in a celebrity boxing poker tournament organised by partypoker.com however being an amateur in this sport was put out first after going "all in" with ace two off suit. In 2009, he was back in Poker Super Stars and got through to the final table in London.

McAuley was almost tempted out of retirement on more than one occasion, right up to the mid-1990s. He was rumoured to be training for a comeback fight with Prince Naseem Hamed in 1994, but the bout eventually fell through over contractual issues.

Among his most famous bouts were two brutal encounters with Colombian Fidel Bassa at Belfast's King's Hall. In 1989 McAuley won the IBF title from Duke McKenzie. He successfully defended his title five times, eventually losing it to Rodolfo Blanco in 1992, whom he had beaten two years previously.

McAuley fought under the name Dave "Boy" McAuley, and was one of the last Irish boxers to fight for a world title over 15 rounds. His two epic fights against Fidel Bassa were both voted "Fight of the Year", in 1986 and 1987 respectively. He defeated Duke McKenzie for the IBF title. He defended his recognised IBF World Title and became the most successful Irish fighter post-war with a recognised IBF World Title.

David Anthony "Dave" McAuley, MBE (born 15 June 1961, Larne) is a former professional boxer from Northern Ireland who competed from 1983 to 1992. He held the IBF flyweight title from 1989 to 1992, and challenged twice for the WBA flyweight title in 1987 and 1988. At regional level, he held the British flyweight title in 1986.