Mickey Cantwell

Mickey Cantwell (born 23 November 1964) is a British former boxer who was British flyweight champion in 1996 and fought for European and World titles.

Born in London, Cantwell turned professional in 1991 and, unbeaten in his first seven fights, beat Darren Fifield in April 1993 to take the vacant BBBofC Southern Area flyweight title. Five months later he challenged for Pablo Tiznado's WBC International light flyweight title, losing on points - his first professional defeat. In April 1994 he challenged for Luigi Camputaro's European flyweight title, and again lost on points.

In March 1996 he faced Keith Knox for the vacant British flyweight title, winning on points to become British champion. Aiming for higher honours he relinquished the title, and in December 1997 faced Eric Jamili for the vacant WBO strawweight World title; A cut to Cantwell's nose caused the fight to be stopped in the eighth round. In June 2000 he challenged Zolani Petelo for the IBF World minimumweight title, again stopped in the eighth round.

Cantwell had a small role in the 2000 film Snatch, playing Liam.

Cantwell's final fight came in September 2001 when he unsuccessfully challenged Jacob Matlala for the WBU light flyweight title, the South African stopping him in the fifth round.

After retiring from boxing, Cantwell served as Chief Executive of the Professional Boxing Association and as a project worker for the Educational Sports Forum.

After an incident in September 2008 in which Cantwell knocked his manager Alan Irwin out during an argument at the Trades Union Congress in Brighton, he was convicted of assault causing actual bodily harm and sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work.

Cantwell became a patron of the Boxing Futures charity and in 2011 opened Cantwell's Gym in Bromley.