WEST Belfast boxing ref David Irving has been appointed to one of his biggest tasks yet as he is set to referee Katie Taylor's homecoming swan-song championship bout against French talent Flora Pili.
Irving, who hails from the Glen Road, called it a "privilege" to be chosen ahead of some top US referees who had been clamouring to get Taylor's final bout where she will be determined to go out on top in front of a packed out Croke Park this Saturday evening.
From Kazakhstan to Las Vegas, David has refereed some of boxing's biggest fights including having donned the bow-tie for both Tommy and Tyson Fury on some of the biggest boxing stages across the world.
And the Katie Taylor fight comes almost 36 years to the day when David took his first refereeing gig when Richie Wenton and Graham O'Malley went blow for blow on September 19th 1990 in Belfast's King's Hall.
Before that David's career as a professional boxer was unfortunately cut short. After just 11 professional fights, including multiple Irish amateur titles and four knockout wins, he was on the end of a recurring hand injury that caused him too much trouble and he was never to be medically cleared to fight again.
"I had trouble with my hand every time I had fought and I had problems that had me out for long periods," he said.
"Newspaper sports columns used to always have a joke at me saying 'Irving misses out again' when I was part of an Irish squad headed for Europe or America and I was always ending up with my hand banjaxed in a cast or stopping me from competing for long periods after a fight.
"I then signed professional, had many knockouts and won my fair share of bouts, but I knew it was not going to last for me too long with the state of my hand.
"I always thought I could have made a pro-champion but my hand would never hold out and that's where I turned to other ways to stay in the game."
David told the Andersonstown News how Barney Eastwood was his gateway into refereeing, once he knew he was on borrowed time with the nature of his injury.
"Barney came to me and he knew my time was done in the ring, but he said to me if I'd ever thought of going into refereeing and becoming a match official? I remember sort of scoffing at the idea which most in my position would do, but about a year later I came back to him and wanted to stay involved in the sport in some capacity.
"Then I went and Barney paid for my medical and helped me get through all the tests in Las Vegas and got through the rigorous training over there and got the go ahead to become a referee.
"People think it might be easy but it is not, you've got to know the rules, you need that experience to tell when someone is done in the ring and if they don't have a puncher's chance. You need to be able to call it and protect these fighters from getting a serious beating."
In 2010, almost two decades after starting as an official, Irving was then bumped up to a Grade A referee and just four years later in 2014 the A-star grade was awarded to David which allowed him to begin his professional refereeing journey.
Boxing referee David Irving from the Glen Road
"I was in the south refereeing a fight and the EBU president Bob Logist spotted me and spoke to Mel Christle who was Irish Boxing Union President, and asked if I could join the EBU and join the team.
"So, I went to Italy to the European Boxing Union, and the experience was surreal but I went and earned my stripes and passed the tests and went from there."
David's fame began to peak when he was featured on the very first Netflix boxing special when Tommy Fury and Jake Paul fought in an exhibition bout and the Glen Road native was refereeing an undercard fight which earned him the trope of 'Netflix Davy' in Holy Trinity Boxing Club.
"Everyone said to me after that fight in Dubai, 'we saw you on Netflix, you looked well'. It was great to hear that. All the girls at the club too told me that I had to make sure the big Love Island star Tommy was still good-looking enough after the fight I refereed involving him, but it's all great fun, it really is."
David has called Saturday's fight with Katie Taylor a dream come true, as despite being all over the world, it will be special to be apart of a mega event like this on home turf.
"I've refereed world title fights in Kazakstan, Dubai and all over the world, but to be in charge of one of Ireland's greatest ever athletes final chapter is going to be surreal," said David.
"One thing people always ask me is if I can ever be biased and I always say absolutely not, I don't care if your Irish, English, French or whatever, I judge the fight on two individuals trying to out-box one another. Nationality and persuasion is not even part of the conversation in my book.
"I am there with a duty of care to help two fighters put on a great show, and do so with making sure neither of them gets too seriously hurt."
David believes what sets top referees apart is knowing when a fighter is trying to win a bout, or going into survival mode.
"I've refereed enough fights now to know when a fighter has a puncher's chance or is just in survival mode and that is what determines whether I'd be likely to call for a towel."
The West Belfast native believes that Saturday in Croke Park will be "something special" and knows that Katie Taylor will help put on a great show.
"It's going to be a privilege to be part of something this special, and I can only hope that both fighters just give their all and I'm sure Katie (Taylor) is excited to go out on the big stage at home and no doubt will put on a great spectacle for the crowd and the onlookers in the stadium and at home.
"It's going to be really special."
