James Patrick "Shea" Neary is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2000.
12 Facts About Shea Neary
1.
2.
Shea Neary held the WBU light-welterweight title from 1996 to 2000, and challenged once for the Commonwealth light-welterweight title in the latter year.
3.
Shea Neary made his professional debut on 3 September 1992, defeating fellow debutant Simon Ford by knockout in the first round.
4.
Three fights later, on 26 October 1996, Shea Neary scored a twelve-round unanimous decision over Darryl Tyson to win the vacant WBU light-welterweight title.
5.
Shea Neary made five successful defences of the title, all televised nationally on ITV's The Big Fight Live.
6.
On 11 March 2000, Shea Neary fought Micky Ward as part of the undercard to Naseem Hamed vs Vuyani Bungu.
7.
Shea Neary won one more fight on 25 July 2000, scoring a ten-round points decision over Alan Bosworth.
8.
However, Shea Neary had struggled to make weight before the fight, and was quoted as having lacked motivation coming in.
9.
On 11 November 2000, in what would be Shea Neary's final fight, he lost via points decision to then-reigning Commonwealth light-welterweight champion Eamonn Magee.
10.
Shea Neary's father moved from Ireland to Liverpool in the 1940s, and during his career Shea Neary was embraced as both an Irishman and a Scouser.
11.
On 2 May 2011, Shea Neary was arrested following a brawl at the Revolution bar in Albert Dock, Liverpool, but was later cleared of assault charges in December.
12.
Shea Neary has called his father "a huge inspiration growing up", and the reason he wanted to be a boxer.