Bio
Buddy McGirt is an American boxing trainer and former boxer who the IBF world junior welterweight title and the WBC world welterweight title.
McGirt was born in New York during the mid-60s. He won his first world title when he saw off Frankie Warren for the IBF junior welterweight crown in 1988.
After losing his second defence to Meldrick Taylor, he shocked Simon Brown to claim the WBC welterweight title three years later.
He held the title until 1993 when he came up against a superior operator in the form of Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker. McGirt also lost a rematch, before eventually hanging up his gloves in 1997 with an impressive record of 73-6-1 including 48 knockouts.
However, he is best remembered by younger generations as the trainer of Arturo Gatti, Antonio Tarver, Vernon Forrest and promising son James McGirt, Jr.
He won the Boxing Writers' Association of America Trainer of the Year Award for 2002 and continues to train a roster of world titlists and challengers.
Buddy is the trainer of the gold team on the third season of the boxing reality competition The Contender, in 2007. His team consists of David Banks, Jaidon Codrington, Miguel Hernandez (a replacement for Henry Buchanan, who had to drop out for personal reasons), Donny McCrary and Sam Soliman.