Deirdre Gogarty


Deirdre Gogarty is a retired Irish female boxer and current coach of the Ragin' Cajun Boxing Club who hails from Drogheda, Ireland.
She attended Drogheda Grammar School. Due to legal issues regarding Women's Boxing in Ireland at the time, Gogarty could not engage in competition there. She currently fights out of Lafayette, Louisiana and is managed and trained by Beau Williford. However, before the law was passed in Ireland, preventing women from engaging in boxing events, Gogarty was able to begin her career there with a six-round decision win against Anne-Marie Griffin. The law preventing females from participating in the sport of boxing in Ireland has since been revoked and there is an increasing number of females becoming involved with the sport thanks to its Olympic acceptance and the consistent international success of Katie Taylor.
After leaving Ireland, Gogarty's next three fights took her to London and Kansas City, Missouri. In London, she defeated Jane Johnson twice, by a four-round knockout and by and eight-round decision. In Kansas City, she drew after six rounds with Stacy Prestage After the rematch with Johnson, she obtained her first knockout in the first round, beating Jane McGhee. Another win followed this and she was matched with Prestage again, resulting in another draw after six rounds.
Following the emerging pattern, another win followed this tie and she was matched against Prestage for a rubber match. However, this time Gogarty suffered her first loss when Prestage won a ten-round decision over her. Two more wins followed this defeat, including a six-round knockout of the top contender Carol Brown and a first-round knockout win over Missy Buchanan. In spite of this winning streak, Gogarty next lost a six-round decision when she faced Mary Ann Almager.
Gogarty followed this defeat with a win, after which she was matched with Isra Girgrah, who Gogarty knocked out in three rounds. This is considered her biggest win to date. She ten boxed another of Female Boxing's top competitors when she faced Laura Serrano, who beat Gogarty by a knockout in round seven. A knockout win in the first round followed this defeat, when she fought Jessica Breitfelder. Gogarty then participated in the fight many credit as putting Female Boxing on the sports' fan page: she and Christy Martin faced each other in a six-round match that was televised by Showtime. This fight made the covers of many magazines. Many fans of Women's Boxing considered it the female version of the Thrilla in Manila. Martin won by a six-round decision.
Gogarty succeeded in winning another three fights consecutively before she challenged Bonnie Canino for the Women's International Boxing Federation's Women's World Featherweight Champtionship. Gogarty became a World Champion after winning the fight on a ten-round decision. She defended her title against Monique Strohman and Debra Strohman. Both were defeated in first-round knockouts. In her last fight to date, Gogarty lost her title to Beverly Szymanski on a ten-round decision.
Gogarty co-wrote her memoir, My Call to the Ring: A Memoir of a Girl Who Yearns to Box, with Darrelyn Saloom. The book was published by Glasnevin Publishing on August 8, 2012. The next day, Katie Taylor won a gold medal for Ireland in the 2012 Summer Olympics, which included women's boxing for the first time.
In 2015, Gogarty was inducted into the Women's International Boxing Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The IWBHF was created by founderSue TL Fox.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
23Loss16-2-5 Beverly SzymanskiUDOct 1, 1998 Tropicana Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USAvacant International Women's Boxing Federation World featherweight title
22Yes16-2-4 Monique StromanTKOApr 19, 1998 Memorial Auditorium, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
21Yes15-2-4 Bonnie CaninoUDJan 11, 1997 UNO Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana, USAWomen's International Boxing Federation World featherweight title
20Yes14-2-4 Debra StromanTKOJan 11, 1997 Nashville Arena, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
19Yes13-4-4 Patricia SimmsKONov 29, 1997 Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
18Yes12-4-2 Sharon YatesTKONov 29, 1997 UAW Hall, Parma, Ohio, USA
17Yes11-4-2 Sharon YatesKOOct 27, 1996 Cleveland, Ohio, USA
16Yes10-4-2 Shannise DavisTKOSep 18, 1996 War Memorial Auditorium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
15Yes9-4-2 Jessica BreitfelderKOJul 13, 1996 Mammoth Events Center, Denver, Colorado, USA
14Loss8-4-2 Christy MartinUDMar 16, 1996 MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
13Yes8-3-2 Jessica BreitfelderTKONov 30, 1995 Capitol Plaza Hotel, Jefferson City, Missouri, USA
12Loss7-3-2 Laura SerranoTKOApr 20, 1995 Aladdin Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USAWomen's International Boxing Federation World lightweight title
11Yes7-2-2 Isra GirgrahTKOFeb 14, 1995 Youth Center, Cut Off, Louisiana, USA
10Yes6-2-2 Gail GrandchampTKOOct 6, 1994 Tampa, Florida, USA
9Loss5-2-2 Mary Ann AlmagerTKOJul 22, 1994 Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA
8Yes5-1-2 Angela BuchananTKOApr 8, 1994 Kansas City, Missouri, USA
7Loss4-1-2 Stacey PrestagePTSNov 23, 1993 Kansas City, Missouri, USA
6Draw4-0-2 Stacey PrestagePTSAug 2, 1993 Marriott Downtown, Kansas City, Missouri, USAWomen's International Boxing Association World lightweight title
5Yes4-0-1 Jane McGheeTKOMay 13, 1993 Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA
4Yes3-0-1 Jane JohnsonTKOApr 24, 1993 London, United Kingdom
3Draw2-0-1 Stacey PrestageTDJan 25, 1993 Allis Plaza Hotel, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
2Yes2-0 Jane JohnsonTKOApr 8, 1992 Town Hall, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom
1Yes1-0 Anne-Marie GriffinPTSJun 30, 1991 Limerick, Ireland