Ryan ‘The Irish Outlaw’ Coyne is set to make his St. Louis homecoming on Friday May 25th at the Ameristar Casino. The undefeated rising contender ends an extended absence from the ring and looks to pick up his 20th professional victory in front of his hometown crowd at Irish May-hem.

The 19-0 WBA #3 rated light heavyweight is in position for a big bout this summer, and looks to stay sharp as he takes on the battle tested former national amateur and armed forces champion Julius Fogle (15-6) of North Carolina.

Irish Outlaw Boxing Promotions invites you to come support the homegrown contender as he moves closer to a world title challenge this year. Tickets are available via phone by contacting Scott Hanke at 314-607-8025 or at www.irishoutlawboxing.com.

It is with my deepest sympathies that I write about the passing of our friend John Gage. John was a great friend of Irish Outlaw Boxing but far more than that he was a great father, a friend to all, a pillar of St. Louis’ Irish Community, and a fiery yet gentle soul if ever there was one.

I vividly remember after fighting on The Contender receiving an e-mail from John. He had watched my fight and sent me an e-mail through my website. He told me how much he loved how I threw my uppercut with conviction, and that it reminded him of his son Tommy, a storied amateur fighter from St. Louis. He said the resemblance was uncanny as we both refused to listen to our respective coaches and dropped the other hand, leaving ourselves unprotected. I had a little chuckle chatting back and forth with John that day, and the good conversations and laughs never stopped over the years.

On days when I would be coming back from the city or have a little free time in the middle of the day after going to the gym, I would stop into O’Malley’s Gift Shop in Maplewood to talk to John about this and that. I always enjoyed his perspective. While my visits were sporadic and always unannounced, I was never met without an embracing hug, a kind word, and a smile from ear to ear. On one of my visits to O’Malley’s, John rushed into the back room and proclaimed, “Ryan, I was digging around in the back.. I knew I had it somewhere..” John emerged from the back room with a coffee mug with my name and family coat of arms on it. With the glimmer and in his eye and the excitement in his voice I thought he had it sent overnight to the shop on consignment straight from County Mayo. When I make my morning coffee I always sift past my prized Blues and Rams mugs and look for this specific mug. I shuffle past the other meaningless ceramic cups because every time I sip from that mug I think of the generosity of a wonderful man who left us too soon.

Ever the fighter, John fought the devil that far too many of us know as cancer right until the end. As the cancer set in and looking a death sentence in the eye, I was marveled at his good spirits, glowing personality, and charismatic demeanor. I’ve run across some tough individuals in my day, but I can’t say I’ve come across a single soul that I can say would have stood up to such despair the way John did.

When Tommy had a farewell get together of sorts for his father, I remember being sad inside knowing that inevitably we were going to lose a great friend. When I arrived at the party while I was certainly not the only one who was saddened by the unfortunate circumstances one of those who was not was the big guy himself. I couldn’t help but feel my sadness overcome by a sense of awe I had at seeing how John stood up to his ultimate misfortune.. while the cancer was starting to take it’s toll on his body he refused to let it win one round against his spirit and his resolve. Ever the fighter, ever the Irishman he was.

While I am quite certain that John’s spirit would have fought on well past the 12th and final round, his body eventually succumbed to cancer. In a world that often makes less sense than it should it seems like the good ones always leave us too soon..  if this really is the case, John’s passing is a testament to this. John, I can say with the utmost certainty that anyone who’s life you touched.. we are going to miss you. May you rest in peace until we see you again.

Ryan ‘The Irish Outlaw’ Coyne vs George Blades fight scheduled for January 14th, 2012 at the Family Arena has been postponed.  Unresolved contractual issues between Fight Night Promotions, Family Arena as well as Irish Outlaw Boxing led to the postponement.

A dejected Coyne said, “I’ve been in camp since before Christmas and I trained very hard.  It was going to be a great fight with Blades and I’m very bummed.  I want to thank all my fans that purchased tickets to the show.  My management team is working on getting the fight rescheduled as soon as possible.”

Ticket buyers can return to the point of purchase for a full refund. For those purchasing directly from Team Irish Outlaw, please call Scott Hanke refunds (314) 607-8025.

Mike Garrett | Business Advisor

Irish Outlaw Boxing

Team Irish Outlaw

Undefeated boxer Ryan ‘The Irish Outlaw’ Coyne (19-0, 8 KOs) will do battle with George ‘Honey Boy’ Blades (22-4, 15 KOs) on “Super Brawl Saturday” Jan. 14 at The Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo.
Coyne, from St. Louis, Mo., held the World Boxing Council U.S. National cruiserweight championship in addition to the World Boxing Association’s Fedelatin cruiserweight championship before he made the move to light heavyweight division where he is currently ranked  No. 4 by the WBA and No. 13 by the WBC.
The Irish Outlaw was a participant in the popular television series The Contender during Season 4, and he is now being promoted by the legendary Don King. Ryan returns home to St. Charles after taking his crowd-pleasing style on the road where he’s racked up four knockouts during his last five fights.

Blades hails from Indianapolis and should provide a stiff test for the Outlaw.  Honey Boy challenged Zsolt Erdei for the WBO world title and fought 11 tough rounds before finally being bested by the undefeated titleholder.  
“I want to thank everyone at Team Outlaw and most importantly give God glory as well for this great chance,” Blades said. “I’m coming to put on a show and give the fans their money’s worth.  I know Coyne is young and hungry and he’s probably looking past me, but I’ve been in the gym working hard. I look forward stepping back under the lights the night before the Super Bowl.”

Coyne is looking forward to meeting Blades.
“George Blades is a tough-as-nails fighter who has competed at the highest levels of the sport,” Coyne said.  “He just challenged for the light heavyweight championship of the world from the current longest-reigning champion in the division, Zsolt Erdei.

“George brings tremendous ring savvy, a solid punch and a wealth of experience to the ring. This is going to be a great fight but rest assured I will come out of the ring with my undefeated record intact.”
Coyne plans to continue his ascent to the top of the light heavyweight division.  Towards that end, Coyne recently brought in former IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Michael Moorer as his head trainer. Moorer, the first southpaw heavyweight champion and former trainer of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, is helping bring out the best in The Irish Outlaw.
“Michael Moorer has brought about some big changes in my overall game,” Coyne said from is camp in St. Louis. “When my team and I made the decision to bring Michael in as head trainer, the biggest reason was to get me to fight more like the southpaw I am. Michael has me doing all the things that a southpaw should. The difference has been a true breakthrough for me.”

Ryan has moved to No. 4 in the WBA light heavyweight rankings in November and will make his official debut at this weight against Blades.
“I’m very excited about my first official fight at the light heavyweight limit of 175 pounds,” Coyne said. “When I turned pro, I was actually a heavyweight and then campaigned in the cruiserweight division for most of my career. Cruiserweight is a bit of an anomaly for an American fighter, so we made the decision to cut down to the light heavyweight division because we believe I can be even more effective there as I was at the 200-pound limit. We decided to gradually work into the weight class fighting at catch weights on the way down. I fought my last fight at 177 and I felt incredibly strong for that weight. I won’t have any issues making 175, but everyone in the division will have issues with me.”

Regarding his career in 2011, Coyne said, “I felt like 2011 was a tough year in terms of a lot of starts and stops.  We had a world title fight fall out on us six days before the bout, but I think it turned out to be a blessing in disguise as we re-chartered the course, re-tooled the roster a little bit, and changed our march up the mountain. I really feel like I can shake this division up, and I plan on showing exactly why when George Blades becomes my 20th professional casualty on Jan.14.”
“We plan to be a staple in the light heavyweight division in 2012, and I look forward to becoming the WBA’s mandatory challenger to the champion Beibut Shumenov. And there’s also IBF champion Tavoris Cloud—who is also promoted by Don King. Tavoris is a great fighter who always puts on an exciting show. We’d take that challenge as well.”
Also on the card is local St Louis prospect Tyrone “TNT” Chatman (8-1-1) as well as the return of “The Punching Policeman” Sam Hill versus the explosive Chris Eppley (10-2) in what figures to be an exciting light heavyweight bout.  Hard punching Brandon Baue and the rugged Nick Reeder are also scheduled for the event.
For tickets, call Scott “Skootch” Hanke (314) 607-8025 and for more information on Ryan ‘The Irish Outlaw’ Coyne, go to www.irishoutlawboxing.com. 

Ryan ‘The Irish Outlaw’ Coyne cruised to his 19th victory in as many starts this past Saturday in Atlanta as part of Roy Jones Jr’s King of the Ring Resurrection. Ryan registered a second round TKO of former U.S. Olympian Dante Craig in scintillating  fashion before a tremendous crowd that featured former world champions Michael Grant and Nate Campbell. Also, ringside were celebrity entertainers Bobby Valentino and Young Joc.

In his second bout under new head trainer, Michael Moorer, Ryan was back in the ring less than two months after his previous bout and in phenomenal shape at a career light 177 lbs.

Working behind a razor sharp jab, Ryan demonstrated an assassin like patience as his he systematically took Craig apart.  Paired with his trademark body work Ryan continued to showcase big improvements in his game working with Michael Moorer.

Both fighters looked to mix things up from the opening bell as Craig had no intentions of playing the role of sacrificial lamb. He fired off combinations, but quickly found out that he was unable to fight fire with fire.

As the first round came to a close, it was apparent to those ringside that Ryan’s physically superior blows were taking a toll on Craig. As the second stanza began Ryan looked to continue pouring on the punishment. Working behind a snapping Southpaw jab, Ryan uncorked a massive left hand that sent Craig crashing to the canvas in the final seconds of the round.

Craig bravely beat the referee’s count, but was in bad condition as he rose to his feet. The round ending bell saved Craig, but the damage was done as he was unable to answer the bell for the 3rd round. The official ending came at the end of round two as the Irish Outlaw scored his 4th knockout in his last five trips to the ring.

It was a great night under the lights for Ryan who improves his record to 19-0 and a prominent position on the radar of every fighter in the light heavyweight division. The stage is set for the undefeated charge to step into a major bout in 2012. Team Outlaw will soon announce Ryan’s next fight. Stay tuned to irishoutlawboxing.com for all the latest news and notes!

Ryan ‘The Irish Outlaw’ Coyne put the finishing touches on his game plan for his fight this Saturday at the Atlanta Civic Center as he wrapped up his training camp at ATT Evolution in St. Louis. With an unblemished professional ledger of 18-0, Ryan will be looking to pick up his 19th victory in impressive fashion as he steps into the ring as the co-main event of Roy Jones Jr’s King of the Ring Resurrection.

Under the tutelage of former heavyweight champion of the world and new head trainer, Michael Moorer, Ryan continues descent down the scales while also continuing his ascent up the world rankings. Ryan enters this Saturday’s bout ranked #4 in the world by the World Boxing Association in the light heavyweight division.

Another impressive win will put Ryan in position to challenge for the world championship in 2012. Standing in the tracks of the Irish Outlaw’s path is battle tested veteran and former U.S. Olympian Dante The Inferno’ Craig. Craig has fought some of the top talent in the sport and owns a TKO victory over former world champion Carl Daniels.

After a year that saw many starts and stops, Ryan plans to finish 2011 the same way it began.. undefeated. Big plans are in the works as Team Outlaw lays the foundation for Ryan to blitz the light heavyweight division in 2012. Stay tuned to irishoutlawboxing.com for all the latest news and notes!

Ryan ‘The Irish Outlaw’ Coyne Returns to Action on December 10, 2011 in Atlanta, GA as Co-Feature of Roy Jones Jr
event King of the Ring Resurrection. Ryan ‘The Irish Outlaw’ Coyne (18-0) will do battle with Dante ‘Inferno’ Craig (18-11).

Coyne (18-0, 7 KOs), from St. Louis, Mo., held the World Boxing Council US National cruiserweight championship in
addition to the World Boxing Association’s Fedelatin cruiserweight championship before he made the move to Light
Heavyweight division where he is currently ranked #4 by the WBA and #13 by the WBC.

The Irish Outlaw was a season four participant in the popular television series The Contender and is now being promoted by the legendary Don King. He will bring his St. Louis fans and crowd-pleasing style to Atlanta to take on a serious
challenge from Craig, a former United States Olympian.

Craig (18-11, 13 KOs) hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, and was a member of the 2000 United States Olympic Boxing Team
with former world champions Jeff Lacy and Jermain Taylor. In addition, the ‘Inferno’ won the 1999 National Golden
Gloves championship in 1999. Craig has fought highly ranked opponents such as Anthony Dirrell, Aaron Pryor Jr and
Darryl Cunningham. His career-defining victory is a 2006 victory over former WBA world champion Carl Daniels.

“We are excited for the opportunity to fight The Irish Outlaw” Craig said. “And we look forward to giving him his first
defeat.”
Coyne, who expects a world title shot in 2012, is coming off a blistering first round knockout of seasoned veteran
Jonathan Corn on October 15th in Springfield, Missouri and is looking to continue his momentum which has resulted in
KO’s of 3 of his past 4 opponents.

“Craig is a slick boxer and brings a significant amount of experience, as both an amateur and professional but on
December 10th he’ll be outgunned, and outmatched, as i move to 19-0” Ryan said.

Team Irish Outlaw has arranged for former IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Michael Moorer as the new head
trainer. Moorer, the first southpaw heavyweight champion and former trainer of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao,
has been brought in to hone the skills of fellow southpaw Coyne.

“Michael’s training me now and it was great to get a fight under our belt together although it only lasted one round. I’m
excited to get more rounds under his guidance as we pursue a world title at 175. I always felt strong at cruiser and I’ll
feel like Hercules at light heavyweight!” Coyne said.

“The fighter-trainer relationship is very important to me and it’s critical we have gain experience in the ring together.
This is a great opportunity and I’m excited to get my second fight under his tutelage” said The Irish Outlaw.
Ryan has moved to No. 4 in the WBA light heavyweight rankings for November 2011.

“We plan to be a staple in the light heavyweight division in 2012 and we plan to move up to the mandatory position in
the WBA and we look forward to a showdown with (current champion) Beibut Shumenov. And there’s also Tavoris Cloud
who is also promoted by Don. Tavoris is a great fighter who always puts on an exciting show. We’d love that challenge
as well” Coyne quipped.

Also on the card is former pound for pound king Roy Jones Jr (54-8) taking on rugged New Jersey cruiser Max Alexander
(14-5)

Watch the fight live at www.ustream.tv/royjones or go to Ticketmaster.com for tickets. For more information on
Ryan ‘The Irish Outlaw’ Coyne, go to www.irishoutlawboxing.com.